Windows 2000 Quick Fixes

Register your computer with DNS and a dynamic IP address

DNS enables your computer’s host name to be mapped to its IP address, but only if a host record exists in the DNS namespace for your computer. For example, if your computer’s host name is fred and your domain is somedomain.com, having a host record in the DNS zone for somedomain.com would enable other users to resolve fred.somedomain.com into your computer’s address. This is useful when you’re hosting one or more sites for an intranet or using other network applications that require name resolution.

When your computer’s IP address changes because you receive your IP address through DHCP, however, your name-to-address mapping becomes a sort of “moving target.” A new feature of Windows 2000, Dynamic DNS (DDNS), solves that problem by enabling automatic updates to the DNS namespace. If your host name or address changes, that change can be reflected in your zone’s DNS records automatically. Setting up and using DDNS requires configuration at both the client and the DNS server.

Configure your system for DDNS

You configure your computer to support DDNS through the TCP/IP properties for the network interface in question. Here’s how:

1. Open the Network and Dial-Up Connections folder, right-click the network interface, and choose Properties.

2. Double-click the TCP/IP protocol in the list of installed components.

3. Click Advanced and click the DNS tab.

4. Configure settings on the DNS page using the following list as a guide:

   Register this connection’s ...