Web and DNS server just for the intranet - configuration

Question

I have a web site set up in IIS, mysite.net, which I want to be accessible ONLY from within my local network. So it's supposed to be an intranet site.

Now, the way the DNS server and the Web server are configured, when I go to "mysite.net" from the server computer, it all works fine; it's reachable. What I don't know how to do is to make this accessible from the clients computers.

PS: I can reach it from a client computer if I set preferred DNS server, on the router, to point to my server, but then I can't get to the web.

So, what am I missing? Is it a config to be done on the DNS server? On the Web server? On the router? Am I missing one or more hardware components?

Thank you.

Solution

• Set up a Forwarder in your Windows DNS server that forwards all unknown requests to your ISP's DNS (or your router if it forwards requests, or use Google's DNS, etc.).
• Set the clients to use the internal DNS server as their DNS setting.

This setup will cause the clients will check with the internal DNS, which will respond with IPs for any hosts it has entries for. Any other host requests (i.e.: Internet hosts) will be forwarded to your ISP's DNS for resolution.

More info (from MS):

• Understanding forwarders
• Configure a DNS Server to Use Forwarders

Comments

[fduayer]

Ok, but where do I set this? On the router?

[Toby Allen]

@fduayer You would set this in your domain name provider. Eg. if you purchased your domain from twocows then you should be able to set up dns to point to a particular IP thats where you set it up