Windows Server 1.1 : IP configuration layout

This lesson defines the network plan we will reuse throughout the rest of the course. Three machines are involved, and giving them static, consistent addressing now will save trouble later when we install Active Directory and DNS.

The three lab machines

  • RTS-DC1 — the domain controller, which will also host the DNS Server role.
    • IP: 192.168.1.150
    • Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 (default for the network)
    • Default gateway: empty — the lab does not need to reach the Internet
    • Preferred DNS server: 192.168.1.150 — the machine points to itself, because it is the DNS server
  • RTS-Core — a Server Core member machine.
    • IP: 192.168.1.152
    • Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
    • No default gateway
    • Preferred DNS server: 192.168.1.150 (uses RTS-DC1 for DNS)
    • No alternate DNS
  • RTS-Server1 — the second member server.
    • IP: 192.168.1.151
    • Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
    • No default gateway
    • Preferred DNS server: 192.168.1.150
    • No alternate DNS

All three machines live in the same /24 subnet (192.168.1.0/24), all three rely on RTS-DC1 for name resolution, and none of them needs a default gateway because the lab is air-gapped from the Internet. This is the IP layout we will reference in the upcoming AD installation videos.

Summary

This lesson outlines the IP configuration layout for three machines used throughout the Windows Server course: RTS-DC1 (domain controller and DNS server at 192.168.1.150), a file server at 192.168.1.252, and a client machine at 192.168.1.251. All machines use the same subnet mask (255.255.255.0) with no default gateway, as they are isolated from the internet. The DNS configuration points all machines to RTS-DC1 for name resolution within the lab environment.

Key points

  • RTS-DC1 serves dual roles as both the domain controller and primary DNS server with IP 192.168.1.150 and a 255.255.255.0 subnet mask
  • File server uses IP 192.168.1.252 and points to RTS-DC1 (192.168.1.150) as its preferred DNS server
  • Client machine uses IP 192.168.1.251 with identical DNS pointing to RTS-DC1 for name resolution
  • All three machines operate with no default gateway since they are not directly connected to the internet
  • No alternative DNS servers are configured; RTS-DC1 is the sole DNS resolver in the lab environment

FAQ

Why do all machines point to RTS-DC1 as their DNS server?

RTS-DC1 acts as the DNS server in this lab environment and is responsible for resolving machine names to IP addresses. This ensures centralized DNS management within the isolated network.

What is the subnet mask used for all three machines?

All machines use the default subnet mask 255.255.255.0, which allows them to communicate within the 192.168.1.0/24 network range.

Why is there no default gateway configured in this lab setup?

The machines are isolated from the internet and only need to communicate with each other within the lab environment, so no default gateway is required for external routing.