Wireless Client (Laptop) unable to connect to domain (windows server)

Question

I have established a server in the office using Windows Server 2008 R2 and Active Directory. And then created several users in Active Directory Users and Computers.

The PC users can successfully join the domain and log in using their username/passwords.

However, the laptop users with wireless connectivity are not able to join the domain and access the network. I checked laptops with ethernet cable, and they successfully logged in to domain. But when unplugging the ethernet cable and enabling the wireless, they cannot log in to domain any more.

How can I enable domain access for wireless clients?

If the problem is with DNS or DHCP, then, why does a laptop connect to domain with Ethernet cable, but not with wireless connection (with the same exact DNS configurations) !!!? The only difference is being connected wired or wireless !! Am I wrong !!?

---

Edit 1

We are using a D-Link 2750U ADSL Modem which has 4 ethernet ports and wireless enabled. We use this modem both for accessing the internet, and also for establishing the server-client network. The server PC is connected via ethernet cable and has Windows Server 2008 R2 running, while the clients are some PC and some laptop, mostly Windows 7.

Edit 2

I tried the ping example.local command in laptops. When connected with ethernet cable, it has nice and successful reply; but when connected via wireless (WLAN), the ping does not respond, and gives the following error: "Ping request could not find host example.local. Please check the name and try again."

Edit 3

It seems that I have to enable something in the server or active directory, so that wireless clients can find, connect, and access the server.

Edit 4

This is what I've done to the DNS settings of clients (both wired PCs and wireless laptops): In the properties section of IPv4 (in client computers), I choose the Use the following DNS server addresses, and in front of Preferred DNS server, I type the IPv4 of the server PC. This works perfect for wired PCs, but not for wireless laptops.

Edit 5

Unfortunately, we do not have static IP. So we are using dynamic IP (for both server and clients). Is it possible to configure DNS and DHCP with dynamic IP?

Edit 6

The following pictures show the Network Connection Details for both the Server and the wireless Client:

Server

Client

Edit 7

I tried ping 192.168.1.34 with wireless laptop. The result was request time out, followed by trying to connect to 192.168.1.33 (!!), which again resulted in request time out.

It was really strange. So I tried ping 192.168.1.35 from wireless laptop. It replied successfully, but with 192.168.1.33 IP !!!!

The 192.168.1.33 IP belongs to another win-7 PC in the office, which used to host the shared drives and shared printers when we used win-7 homegroup (instead of server) in the past.

Edit 8

I checked the IP of the computers again. They have changed. The Server PC is now 192.168.1.35 and the wireless laptop is 192.168.1.33

Edit 9

I'm not able to ping the wireless laptop. Right now, the laptop's IP is 192.168.1.36, and when I do ping 192.168.1.36 from server PC, it says Destination Host Unreachable !! However, the wireless laptop is able to connect to internet with wifi.

Edit 10

I tried 192.168.1.1 in a web browser with the wireless laptop, and it worked successfully. The browser opened the D-Link Modem page.

Solution

I solved this problem with the following method:

1. Type 192.168.1.1 to enter modem settings.
2. Type username and password.
3. Go to Setup
4. Go to Wireless
5. Go to Wireless Basic
6. Un-check the Enable MultiAP Isolation option.
7. Apply.

Comments

[Phil]

Please update the question with details of your network architecture with respect to the server, wired network and wireless network. Can wireless users ping the domain controller?

[Omid1989]

Thanks @Phil for your comment. What information do you exactly want? I'm relatively new to server things. How can I ping the domain controller?

[Omid1989]

Dear @William, I found your post here (serverfault.com/questions/601614/…) that you had solved the problem. Would you please describe the solution?

[Todd Wilcox]

If you log on to the laptop using a local account, connect to the wireless, and then ping the Windows domain name (e.g., example.com or example.local), what happens?

[Todd Wilcox]

You're not getting the correct DNS servers on the laptop when it is connected wirelessly. How is DHCP being handled? I suggest using the server to provide DHCP and hand out the same information to both wired and wireless clients.

[Omid1989]

Thanks @ToddWilcox for your comment. But how should I do this? How can I configure or even check DHCP !? (sorry, I'm almost new!)

[Todd Wilcox]

Frankly, you might need a mento/training on Windows network and server administration if you're going to get into doing that. Even creating a small Windows domain successfully isn't something that one can learn from a Stack Exchange answer.

[Omid1989]

Dear @ToddWilcox, If the problem is with DNS or DHCP, then, why does a laptop connect to domain with Ethernet cable, but not with wireless connection (with the same exact DNS configurations) !?

[joeqwerty]

This is sounding to me like the wireless clients are on a different subnet and/or VLAN than the wireless clients, which is what I'd be looking at.

[Omid1989]

Thanks @joeqwerty for your comment. Would please provide more info? What should I do now?

[HEDMON]

I understand you are using DHCP ... please, make a ipconfig /all and publish the result. When you connect the laptop to the wireless network, can you ping to other PC (workstations and/or servers)? can others workstations and/or server ping the laptop?

[HEDMON]

Can you do: ipconfig /flushdns ?

[Omid1989]

@HEDMON, I did ipconfig/flushdns and it said: Windows IP Configuration. Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache

[yagmoth555]

as the ping dont pass, its a restriction in your WLAN in my opinion. do you double nat with your accesspoint? 192.168.1.1 is the same on lan vs wlan ?

[Omid1989]

Thanks @yagmoth555 for your comment. How should I check these settings?

[yagmoth555]

try 192.168.1.1 from the wifi, is it the correct device answering (dlink) ?

[Omid1989]

@yagmoth555 Oh I see. You mean to type 192.168.1.1 in a web browser in wireless laptop, to see if it opens the modem's page. Right?

[Omid1989]

@yagmoth555 , I tried 192.168.1.1 in a web browser with the wireless laptop. It worked successfully, and the browser opened the D-Link modem page. Now what ?

[yagmoth555]

now you update the firmware or check to use another gear to act as an accesspoint on your network, as the one you have seem to restrict you. (do you got another router to test out (like a small/cheap linksys) ? make a accesspoint with one to rule that out)