Takes FOREVER to log in....

[MonkeyLord]

Hi!

Just a little background:
We're a small company that's been using a Windows NT 4.0 box for a file server for the past couple years now. We've opted to upgrade to a newer, faster box with Small Business Server 2003

Now, we're having two hangups that are proving to be somewhat irksome:

1. When we login to the new domain on the SBS box, it was cycle though the "looking for user settings" message for almost 4-5 minutes. Logging into Windows NT took only a few moments... With SBS, we're having to wait 4-5 times as long JUST to log in to the new domain. I've been looking through the server's settings, hoping to stumble across what in the world is making it take so long to log people in, but to no avail.

2. This is equally irksome: When you join the new domain for the first time, you literally have to start from scratch with respect to user settings, desktop, etc, even though the only thing that's changed is the domain we're logging in to. How to we get around this?

The rep sure did make this sound as if it was going to be a lot easier than it has thus far turned out to be... ;P

[Ya_know]

What OS are your workstations?

Slow login sounds like you have something buggered up with DNS settings, and the pc's don't know where to look, so you are waiting for a timeout or something, but that's just a guess. I presume you have Internet connection for your site, what is providing the IP's and DNS information for the PC's? And are you using forwarders on the server running DNS (don't know 2003 SBS, but I imagine it isn't too much different than regular server).

As far as the user profiles on the PC needing to be redone, you might try to use the copy profile option in the system properties for each PC. What you do is login to the new domain with the new user, then immediately log out, then back in as the local PC administrator. Then go into the profiles tab (or button if XP) and copy the old profile (the one used in the old domain) over the one for the new domain. I ain't saying this is going to work seamlessly, but it is worth a shot. Try one, and test it out...

Give us some more information, also your background. I get the impression that you aren't IT, but have absorbed the responsibility for your shop...

[Matridom]

i htink ya_know has it right, seems like an issure with DNS

[MonkeyLord]

Ya_know:
Thanks for the reply! And yeah, that's about right. I've done a lot of work on Pcs as a bench tech before coming here, which is how I inhereted the mantle of "Make it work!" My problem is I don't have a lot of experience managing networks... This one is pretty simple and mundane, and I haven't really had to make any major changes since coming here, other than modifying users and permissions and what-not.

Current Setup:
All the client machines (7 machines, all with Windows XP) have a static IP, and are behind a linksys router, through which we access the internet. However, like i said, we have set our own IPs instead of drawing them dynamically from the router.

In fact, all the server really does is act as a common file depository, and runs a login script that maps our network drives whenever you login. (it also backs up our documents and files to an offsite FTP server)

The new server is a Dell PowerEdge 1600SC, with Small Business Server 2003.

Will the DNS cause problems even if the client isn't trying to obtain an address?

Thanks again for the response
- John

PS: regarding user profiles: I tried to find that feature before, and didn't have any luck... maybe i was looking in the wrong place. I'll try that out...

[Matridom]

step one. Make SURE the server is running DNS properly. all nic's on that box should point back to itself for DNS. using "nslookup" is a great way to test the DNS server.

on all the work station, change the dns IP from the router or external ISP's to that of the server, put in the correct DNS suffix.

NT4.0 uses wins and netbios resolution to do everything, 2k/2k3 uses DNS, so it sounds like the infrastructure is not setup for that type of network.

If your unsure how to get it setup, talk your boss into hiring a consultant to help with the configuration. Active Directories is a big beast to learn properly.

[MonkeyLord]

Ugh.... That's not what I wanted to hear... hehe

And actually, I mispoke earlier: It's hanging at the "Applying Computer Settings" message. If that makes any difference at all...

So you're saying that with our current setup, with a router supplying internet connectivity, we should have our machines drawing an IP directly from the server (instead of statically set)?

How do we maintain our internet connection after doing so?

[Matridom]

Ugh.... That's not what I wanted to hear... hehe

And actually, I mispoke earlier: It's hanging at the "Applying Computer Settings" message. If that makes any difference at all...

So you're saying that with our current setup, with a router supplying internet connectivity, we should have our machines drawing an IP directly from the server (instead of statically set)?

How do we maintain our internet connection after doing so?

No, that's not what i'm saying. I'm saying the workstations should be using the server for it's DNS.

windows 2003 provides EVERYHTING through DNS, if it's not set correctly, your workstation has no clue where to find anything (like a profile for example) and as such takes a long time to boot up.

[MonkeyLord]

Ooooooooooh, ok... I see what you're saying. Sorry about the confusion.

Ok, I'll go poking around in the DNS settings and Windows Help to see if I can't come across some magical epiphany.

[Ya_know]

Don't forget to set the forwarders for the DNS server to the ISP's DNS, otherwise the PCs will see the server, login just fine, but typically not be able to find the Internet. Remember that the router internal IP is still the gateway...

The Profile utility is in System properties (right click My Computer, properties), then under Advanced tab, User Profiles button. In win 2k it was it's own tab.

[Matridom]

Don't forget to set the forwarders for the DNS server to the ISP's DNS, otherwise the PCs will see the server, login just fine, but typically not be able to find the Internet.

Only if your DNS is not configured properly. My internal DNS server forwards to nothing. Heck, my ISP's DNS server went out for 8 hours one day, i never noticed. If set properly with recursive queries, forwarders are not needed. Forwarders are used when you want to create a caching DNS server.

[Ya_know]

Only if your DNS is not configured properly. My internal DNS server forwards to nothing. Heck, my ISP's DNS server went out for 8 hours one day, i never noticed. If set properly with recursive queries, forwarders are not needed. Forwarders are used when you want to create a caching DNS server.

Do tell me more!!!

[confus-ed]

Do tell me more!!!

Yeah go on ... I don't think I 'got' where you are going, originally you were saying DNS does it all, ok so if that's 'incomplete' it falls back to wins then netbios ? (hence our delays - while it figures it out)... somewhere though, as per, I got confus-ed

[Matridom]

Yeah go on ... I don't think I 'got' where you are going, originally you were saying DNS does it all, ok so if that's 'incomplete' it falls back to wins then netbios ? (hence our delays - while it figures it out)... somewhere though, as per, I got confus-ed

that's correct. It's part of a clients dns resolution to try netbios. A client tried to resolve DNS in the following manner.

1. Is it me?
2. Do i have it in my Hosts file?
3. Does the DNS server know it?
4. Does the WINS server have it?
5. Let my do a netbios broadcast to fint it?
6. Does the LMHosts file have it?

Active directories relies on DNS, so it in "theory" could run completly off netbios, HOWEVER it will be slower then molasses (look at the number of steps before it broadcasts). What i was stating is the netbios is not required for and AD domain cause DNS can do it all.

Ya_know, if you look on the "root hint" tab, you should see a list of 13 enteries there. These are the "root" dns servers. With the root hints in place, the dns server will use recusive queries to resolve a host name rather then use a forwarder. If you've enabled forwarders, it will use this in preference to root hints.

[FireAm94]

My problem was taking 10 minutes to login to our domain. Another thing to check is your login script. That's what caused my problem.

Joe

[MonkeyLord]

Thank you so much for the replies! I resolved half the issue...

I went through and re-setup the DNS on the server, and on the client machine, pointed the DNS at the server, instead of our ISP's DSN. Everything seems to be peachy now... Login is quick, and internet connectivity is preserved.

HOWEVER: I still need to get the user settings transferred. When I go to the user settings dialoque, the Copy To option is greyed out. :/

Again, thanks for the replies, you've been a tremendous help