Hey everyone,
I'm running an Active Directory setup across two sites:
- **Datacenter (192.168.19.0/24)**: This site has multiple Domain Controllers, a File Server, and storage.
- **Office (192.168.20.0/24)**: This site connects to the Datacenter via Dark Fibre and doesn't host any servers.
- Additionally, there's a Wireless site at **192.168.21.0/24**.
We've also got a **Remote Office in Africa (192.168.100.0/24)** which includes a Domain Controller, File Server, and Fortigate.
In total, each site is correctly set up in AD Sites and Services, and I have the appropriate subnets configured for them. The internet connection is pretty decent with a 1 Gbps link in the Datacenter and a 10 Mbps link in the African office, but latency between the two is around 400 ms.
The issue is that users at the head office sometimes connect to the DC in Africa instead of the local DCs, which causes some significant latency when they first browse our DFS share using \company.local. Once they're in the share, there's no issue, but that initial lag can crash their machines sometimes. When I ping company.local from the head office, the resolution seems to fluctuate between the local Domain Controllers and the one in Africa. It's like a roulette every time!
I've double-checked that all subnets and servers are properly assigned in AD Sites and Services, but I'm wondering if there's something I might be missing here. Any advice would be really appreciated!
3 Answers
First, check if the clients in your head office are correctly assigned to the appropriate subnet in AD. If any of the segments (like your 19-21) overlap or are misconfigured, it could lead to clients reaching out to the wrong DC. Also, take a peek at the Windows debug logs for any clues.
As a quick fix, you could try removing the African DC from the DNS servers used by clients in your HQ. This might prevent clients from ever trying to connect to that DC initially.
Have you considered just using referral settings with DFS? You might want to configure it to target client sites strictly. This way, you can create a more controlled environment, reducing the chances of users hitting the slow DC in Africa for initial connects.
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