Windows Server 2008 R2 without DHCP

Question

I apologize as being new to the forum if I ask something which has been answered.
I am running following setup at home: D-Link DIR-655 router, Proliant N36L as a server, three wired desktop and two wireless laptops. I am trying to setup AD at home part as a function for four users, part as a learning experience. Server has static IP from
the router and no issues there. I get warnings from DNS and AD, that it cannot connect to the domain (karelpro.local) - not sure why, but the service is running.
My question is, whether I have to use the DHCP role to serve IP addresses to clients, or if I could use the router to server IP addresses. The reason I use the router DHCP is to server IP addresses to the laptops. I was told that Windows Server for the AD
does not need DHCP to function properly, but I cannot connect to the domain with my laptop - still has to try the wired computer.
Any advise is appreciated.

Answer 1

You can use the router DHCP, but for AD to work, you MUST use the server as a DNS server for both the server itself and the clients. So I would suggest you to
1) assign a static IP address (outside the DHCP scope) for the server, and set its own address as a DNS server in network settings
2) configure the router to give the clients your server's IP address as a DNS server
3) make sure that there are no other DNS servers defined for the clients and they all use dynamic IP settings
You obviously need to keep your server on to access Internet from the clients after doing this. But that's how it goes in an AD environment.
Tero Leskinen - MVP (Windows Server for Small and Medium Business / SBS)