Two Windows Server 2003 Boxes Can't Ping Each other.

Though my home network, which uses a WRT54G router, I have my main desktop running Windows Vista x64 connected via Cat5e, and a laptop running Windows Vista x86 connected via wireless. On each of these machines I am using VMware Workstation to run images of Windows Server 2003. My main goal is to transfer the data files from my Primary Forward Look up Zone on my main PC to the secondary zone on my laptop. However, I have not been able to do this.

To troubleshoot, I wanted to see if each computer could even ping each other; they cannot. If I set my TCP/IP properties to automatic configuration I have internet access on both Server 2003 images and I can ping outside address like Google, Yahoo, etc. When I make these Static using the information from the IPCONFIG utility that I ran when these settings where automatic, I have internet access. When I change the IP Address or the Default Gateway, I lose internet access. Under no configuration can these two boxes ping each other.

I guess what I am asking is what do I need to do to each of these boxes so that they can ping each other on my home network. Once they can talk to each other, I can set them up to transfer the zone data. Right now I want to concentrate on just them being able to communicate.

Thank you to anyone who can help.

Anthony

 

Could this be due to the fact that you are using virtual machines?

Also, does the router recognise that the machines are connected if they are assigned random static IP addresses?

Can the VMs ping the router at all three states you posted above?

 

I am thinking it is because of the virtual machines, however, I don't have the resources to install server 2003 on two boxes directly so I'm forced to use VMware to figure out this configuration.

I am not home at the moment to check to see if the machines show up in the client list. I will try when I get back tonight.

Yes, the VMs can ping the default gateway, the DG that I recorded when I automatically set up my TCP/IP properties. However, the default IP for the router is 192.168.1.1 on my regular machines. This is not the DG that was automatically given for the VM machines. I can not ping 192.168.1.1 from the VM machines.

 

Here's a recap of what I have so far. Both are set up statically, both can ping the default gateway, and both can ping outside urls, like Google.com However, they cannot ping each other.

VM Machine One:

Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Anthony
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : domain915.room.com
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : domain915.room.com
room.com

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 4:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : VMware Accelerated AMD PCNet Adapter #3
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0C-29-44-23-97
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.128
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.2
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.2

VM Machine 2

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : 2K3Server007
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : domain007.room.com
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : domain915.room.com
room.com

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 4:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : VMware Accelerated AMD PCNet Adapter #3
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0C-29-44-23-97
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.127
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.2
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.2

 

try deleting the "Primary DNS Suffix", it is empty on our servers & PCs here

 

Well, that refers to my DNS server, and my main objective here is to fill my secondary zone by transferring from the master zone on another server, so cannot get rid of that.

I did solve my problem though. Instead of running two VM machines on two separate computers, I did some research and found out that I could create a team in VMWare and run two Server Boxes side by side. I linked them together though a virtual network connection and now everything's working great!

Thanks everyone for the help!