Configure a Connection-Specific DNS Name

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008

A computer can have its Domain Name System (DNS) names configured in one of two possible ways:

  • A primary DNS domain name, which applies as the default, fully qualified DNS name for the computer and all its configured network connections.

  • A connection-specific DNS domain name, which can be configured as an alternate DNS domain name that applies only to a single network adapter that is installed and configured on the computer.

Although most computers do not need to support or use more than one name in DNS, support for configuring multiple, connection-specific DNS names is sometimes useful. For example, by using multiple names, you can specify which network connection to use when clients connect to a multihomed computer.

By default, the primary DNS suffix portion of a computer's fully qualified domain name (FQDN) must be the same as the name of the Active Directory domain where the computer is located. To use different primary DNS suffixes, a domain administrator may construct a restricted list of allowed suffixes by creating the msDS-AllowedDNSSuffixes attribute in the domain object container. This attribute is created and managed by the domain administrator using Active Directory Service Interfaces or the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).

Membership in Administrators, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at Local and Domain Default Groups (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477).

To configure a connection-specific DNS name

  1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Classic View.

  2. Double-click Network and Sharing Center.

  3. In the Network and Sharing Center window, click Manage network connections.

  4. In the Network Connections window, right-click the connection that you want to manage, and then click Properties.

  5. Do one of the following:

    • To configure IP version 4 (IPv4) for the connection, perform the following steps:

      1. Click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and then click Properties.

      2. Click Advanced, and then click the DNS tab.

      3. In DNS suffix for this connection, type the connection-specific DNS suffix.

    • To configure IP version 6 (IPv6) for the connection, perform the following steps:

      1. Click Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6), and then click Properties.

      2. Click Advanced, and then click the DNS tab.

      3. In DNS suffix for this connection, type the connection-specific DNS suffix.

  6. Click OK twice, and then click Close.

Additional considerations

  • Depending on your network’s configuration, you can use this procedure to configure IPv4, IPv6, or both.