Hi, I am putting together a Windows Server 2012 network and need to choose a domain name before I can do anything else. What type of format is recommended? I have heard that anything with a .local suffix will do. So then would google.local also do? Won't that have conflicts and cause problems though? Of course I wouldn't want to choose google.local but it is an example. If I choose xxx.local won't that conflict with xxx.com or xxx.net which may be on the outside world? Also while initially my network, which by the way will consist for one server and two PCs (Windows 8) and numerous virtual machines, will be closed to the outside world, eventually I may want to open it up, i.e. have a web server. Also I would want a VPN to the outside world, so that I can access my network securely form a Wi-Fi hotspot for example. And if I do decide to get a web server and buy a domain name then can the local domain name of Windows be independent of the web domain name? Also is it easy to change the Windows domain name in future? Or a hassle? Any advice and recommendations will be most appreciated. Thanks.
Thanks for the advice. Where can I get a free web domain name? So if I get a domain name then I don't have to point that name to an IP address just yet? Only when I am ready for the web server? Sorry but I am a total newbie when it comes to Windows Server
Basically replace my peer to peer network with a server based one. Of course there is no "need" for such a complex network, but I want to learn Windows Server and then later on host a web site. Thanks.
So if I get say xyz.com, then can my domain name for WS2012 be just xyz.com or internal.xyz.com? If it is internal.xyz.com then when a user joins the domain what does he enter for the domain? xyz or internal.xyz? What would the NETBIOS domain be? Sorry for these dumb questions!
No. But when I am ready to get the web server going I will get DynDNS, which I assume should be fine?
I have already played with WS2012 on a virtual PC I made. On that one I called both the forest and domain biggusdiccus.com and it worked fine. I made a couple of virtual PCs that successfully joined the domain as registered users of the windows domain biggusdiccus. At first they could not join, then I figured out that it was a DNS problem and so I changed the IP config to point the DNS as the server. Then it worked fine. Now I want to install WS2012 on a physical computer and so I want to be sure that the domain name I choose for active directory won't cause me headaches down the line. And yes like I said I do realise that Active Directory is way overkill, but I am learning IT and want to get comfortable with WS2012/AD. Surely it doesn't have any disadvantages if one knows how to work it? I think that if I just choose and register a web domain name, which are cheap at like $10/year. Then as long as it is registered, then no one can use it and so it will be fine to call my domain that name, right?