Clients authenticate with the "wrong" DC

Philip Blow · Guest

I have a multiple site, single domain AD configuration using W2K3 SP2 (not
R2). There is a central site (SiteA) and two remote sites. Both remote sites
are connected to the central site. One remote site is connected by a 1Mbps
link (SiteB) and the other is connected via 512Kbps link (SiteC). We are
using DFS and replicating via FRS.

Each remote site has only one DC, there are two at the central site. There
are approx 15 PCs at SiteA (central), as well as our exchange server and some
database servers, etc. SiteC has only 4 PCs (connected via the 512lbps link).
SiteB has four offices each with between 4 and 5 PCs in each (total about 18
PCs). The offices in SiteB are connected via 10 Mbps wireless links - each
office is assigned a seperate subnet and the subnets appear to be correctly
assigned to the AD Site.

On occasion (usually for maintenance reasons) I need to restart the DC at
SiteB. After the restart the PCs in SiteB start using one of the other DCs
(in SiteA or or even worse SiteC) for authentication (as their login server)
as well as for the file access (access to DFS targets). When users login they
are not reconnected to the printer shares that are defined on DC in SiteB.
This occurs even if a user is not logged in on the PC when the DC restart
occurs. The PCs in SiteB do not find the DC in SiteB until they are restarted.

I believe the unpredicable results of logon server selection process also
happens from time to time in SiteA and SiteC.

I have found and tried a number of different partial solutions, but have not
found a definitive solution. Any further suggestions or pointers would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Philip