Access external website with same domain name

[fault]

OK, so my Windows domain on my network is called fault.com (for example). Now I have an external website on the Internet hosted by my ISP also at fault.com (and www.fault.com).

How do I access it now cause the DNS on the Windows Server 2003 box thinks it's internal :(

Thanks.

[MazX_Napalm]

notepad c:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts

At the end of the file add xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx www.fault.com

Where xxx..... is the IP address of the site

[semaja2.net]

wouldnt that be bad since his pc would think the domain controller was at that ip instead of his lan ip

PS. what if you add a dns record on ur dns server so that www.xxxxx.com point to the external website and xxxx.com points to your internal website

[fault]

  semaja2 said:

wouldnt that be bad since his pc would think the domain controller was at that ip instead of his lan ip

PS. what if you add a dns record on ur dns server so that www.xxxxx.com point to the external website and xxxx.com points to your internal website

Sounds like exactly what I need :) How do I do that exactly :p I can get to the DNS config screen in Administrative Tools but I'm clueless from there!

Thanks man.

[John Veteran]

I think you should analyze why you have an internal domain named after a public domain that is not under your control... If you want your employees to have access to your public website, that is one thing, but unless you control both sites, you'll only open yourself up to security issues.

[semaja2.net]

it would be quite hard for me to just explain how to do what i said but you could get some reading matterial or with that hosts file but add www.xxxx.com xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx to it but not your normal domain name

PS if ya get that cuz i dont

[Leddy]

  John said:

I think you should analyze why you have an internal domain named after a public domain that is not under your control... If you want your employees to have access to your public website, that is one thing, but unless you control both sites, you'll only open yourself up to security issues.

I think what the topic starter was saying is that he DOES control the domain, but it's not DNS'd to his domain controller.

[fault]

  Leddy said:

I think what the topic starter was saying is that he DOES control the domain, but it's not DNS'd to his domain controller.

Hello, if I understand you right: correct! I own the public external domain on the Internet too, but it's hosted by my ISP.

So, how might I add this DNS record to my DNS configuration on Windows Server 2003 to point to this external website at my ISP?

[MazX_Napalm]

  semaja2 said:

PS. what if you add a dns record on ur dns server so that www.xxxxx.com point to the external website and xxxx.com points to your internal website

No. Because of the www before the domain name. You are telling windows that any requests for www.domain.com are to be forwarded to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

Requests to domain.com know, because for the entries in DNS server, that this is the local domain.

This is a dirty little trick that works.

This is also a neat trick for other things too.

Example 1:

Your users love using eBay.co.uk, but you don't want them to go to ebay.com. Well an entry in the hosts file can tell windows that the ip address of ebay.com is the ip of ebay.co.uk.

Example 2:

When you have a adware problem, but you don't have time fix it now because its smoke break time. A quick entry into hosts can open your intranet site rather than an external site.

[fault]

1) Ah ok, but wouldn't creating a DNS entry that www.fault.com points to an external IP equally do the same? Or am I wrong?

2) I tried your little hosts file trick. It works but now I guess I have to copy that hosts file to each workstation on the network :( Easy enough with a little script, but is this what they do in practice?

[teeple]

Why can't you just add a CNAME record or A record in DNS that points www to you external site.

So in the DNS tool on your Windows 2003 server - you open up your FORWARD zones and there should be one there for your domain name (fault.com). Right click on FAULT.COM and from the drop down menu choose A RECORD and simply type in www and give the external IP address.

Now - if for some reason you have named your main Windows 2003 server as WWW - then you are screwed... but if you have no other records called www in your dns zone then simply adding a A RECORD will do exaactly what you want.

Bill

[fault]

  teeple said:

Why can't you just add a CNAME record or A record in DNS that points www to you external site.

So in the DNS tool on your Windows 2003 server - you open up your FORWARD zones and there should be one there for your domain name (fault.com). Right click on FAULT.COM and from the drop down menu choose A RECORD and simply type in www and give the external IP address.

Now - if for some reason you have named your main Windows 2003 server as WWW - then you are screwed... but if you have no other records called www in your dns zone then simply adding a A RECORD will do exaactly what you want.

Bill

Sweet, that works perfectly :) Exactly what I needed - thanks Bill.