[CentOS] DHCP/DNS server for LAN with mainly Windows clients : Outlook Express vs. Webmail problem

Fri Jun 11 07:26:37 UTC 2010
Niki Kovacs <contact at kikinovak.net>

Hi,

I recently setup a CentOS 5 file server for a small LAN consisting of 15 
Windows XP clients. The LAN is eventually expected to migrate to Linux, 
at least some of the client machines.

The previous setup made by a local Windows-only computer firm was an 
unhealthy mix of static and dynamic IP addresses with conflicting 
adresses, etc. First thing I undertook was clean up this mess by setting 
up a DHCP + local cache DNS server on the Linux machine.

Now the curious problem I have: IP addresses are attributed correctly, 
people can surf on the internet all right. But the only thing they can't 
seem to do is send mail with Outlook or Outlook Express. I have to 
revert to the ISP's DNS, but so I lose the benefit of local DNS. And I 
don't have the slightest clue as to why that is so.

Here's my setup, maybe one of the gurus on the list has an idea:

1) /etc/dhcpd.conf (the fixed addresses are attributed because the local 
printer has a page counting device that works with IP adresses):

--8<---------------------------------------
ddns-update-style interim;
authoritative;
default-lease-time 86400;
max-lease-time 86400;

option broadcast-address 192.168.0.255;
option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
option routers 192.168.0.1;
option domain-name-servers 192.168.0.2;
option domain-name "regards.arles";

subnet 192.168.0.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
   range 192.168.0.100 192.168.0.150;
}

host poste1 {
   hardware ethernet 00:26:18:B7:D6:10;
   fixed-address 192.168.0.101;
   option host-name "poste1";
}

host poste2 {
   hardware ethernet 00:24:81:69:A3:DE;
   fixed-address 192.168.0.102;
   option host-name "poste2";
}

host poste3 {
   hardware ethernet 00:1B:FC:6F:66:2C;
   fixed-address 192.168.0.103;
   option host-name "poste3";
}

...
--8<---------------------------------------

For setting up Bind, I used a "dummy" domain name, like I usually do in 
LAN's. For example, my home network is "presbytere.montpezat", the local 
town hall's network is "mairie.montpezat". The network here is 
"regards.arles". ("Regards" is the name of a local association, and 
"Arles" is the city in South France where it's located).

2) /etc/named.conf:

--8<---------------------------------------
options {
   directory "/var/named";
   listen-on { 127.0.0.1; 192.168.0.0/24; };
};

zone "." IN {
   type hint;
   file "named.root";
};

zone "localhost" IN {
   type master;
   file "zone.localhost";
   allow-update { none; };
};

zone "0.0.127.in-addr.arpa" IN {
   type master;
   file "revp.127.0.0";
   allow-update { none; };
};

zone "regards.arles" IN {
   type master;
   file "zone.arles.regards";
};

zone "0.168.192.in-addr.arpa" {
   type master;
   file "revp.192.168.0";
};
--8<---------------------------------------

3) /var/named/named.root:

--8<---------------------------------------
; <<>> DiG 9.3.6-P1-RedHat-9.3.6-4.P1.el5 <<>>
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 42704
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 13, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 14

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;.                              IN      NS

;; ANSWER SECTION:
.                       106187  IN      NS      h.root-servers.net.
.                       106187  IN      NS      i.root-servers.net.
.                       106187  IN      NS      j.root-servers.net.
.                       106187  IN      NS      k.root-servers.net.
.                       106187  IN      NS      l.root-servers.net.
.                       106187  IN      NS      m.root-servers.net.
.                       106187  IN      NS      a.root-servers.net.
.                       106187  IN      NS      b.root-servers.net.
.                       106187  IN      NS      c.root-servers.net.
.                       106187  IN      NS      d.root-servers.net.
.                       106187  IN      NS      e.root-servers.net.
.                       106187  IN      NS      f.root-servers.net.
.                       106187  IN      NS      g.root-servers.net.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
a.root-servers.net.     401883  IN      A       198.41.0.4
a.root-servers.net.     401883  IN      AAAA    2001:503:ba3e::2:30
b.root-servers.net.     401883  IN      A       192.228.79.201
c.root-servers.net.     401883  IN      A       192.33.4.12
d.root-servers.net.     401883  IN      A       128.8.10.90
e.root-servers.net.     401883  IN      A       192.203.230.10
f.root-servers.net.     401883  IN      A       192.5.5.241
f.root-servers.net.     401883  IN      AAAA    2001:500:2f::f
g.root-servers.net.     401883  IN      A       192.112.36.4
h.root-servers.net.     401883  IN      A       128.63.2.53
h.root-servers.net.     401883  IN      AAAA    2001:500:1::803f:235
i.root-servers.net.     401883  IN      A       192.36.148.17
j.root-servers.net.     192587  IN      A       192.58.128.30
j.root-servers.net.     192587  IN      AAAA    2001:503:c27::2:30

;; Query time: 6 msec
;; SERVER: 192.168.1.252#53(192.168.1.252)
;; WHEN: Wed May 26 18:47:37 2010
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 500
--8<---------------------------------------

4) /var/named/zone.localhost:

--8<---------------------------------------
$TTL  1D
$ORIGIN localhost.
@ IN  SOA @ root (
            0000002 ; Serial
            8H      ; Refresh
            15M     ; Retry
            1W      ; Expire
            1D)     ; Minimum TTL
   IN  NS  @
   IN  A 127.0.0.1
--8<---------------------------------------

5) /var/named/revp.127.0.0:

--8<---------------------------------------
$TTL 1D
$ORIGIN 0.0.127.in-addr.arpa.
@ IN  SOA  localhost. root.localhost. (
            0000002 ; Serial
            8H      ; Refresh
            15M     ; Retry
            1W      ; Expire
            1D )    ; Minimum TTL
   IN NS    localhost.
1 IN PTR   localhost.
--8<---------------------------------------

6) /var/named/zone.arles.regards:

--8<---------------------------------------
$ORIGIN regards.arles.
$TTL  1D
@ IN  SOA ibmx225 hostmaster  (
           0000003 ; Serial
           8H  ; Refresh
           4H  ; Retry
           4W  ; Expire
           1D  ) ; Minimum

           NS  ibmx225

localhost A 127.0.0.1

poste1  A 192.168.0.101
poste2  A 192.168.0.102
poste3  A 192.168.0.103
poste4  A 192.168.0.104
poste5  A 192.168.0.105
poste6  A 192.168.0.106
poste7  A 192.168.0.107
poste8  A 192.168.0.108
poste9  A 192.168.0.109
poste10 A 192.168.0.110
poste11 A 192.168.0.111
poste12 A 192.168.0.112
poste13 A 192.168.0.113
poste14 A 192.168.0.114
--8<---------------------------------------

7) /var/named/revp.192.168.0:

--8<---------------------------------------
$ORIGIN 0.168.192.in-addr.arpa.
$TTL  1D
@ IN  SOA ibmx225.regards.arles.  contact.kikinovak.net (
           0000003 ; Serial
           28800 ; Refresh
           14400 ; Retry
           2419200 ; Expire
           86400 ; Minimum
           )

           NS  ibmx225.regards.arles.

101 PTR poste1.regards.arles.
102 PTR poste2.regards.arles.
103 PTR poste3.regards.arles.
104 PTR poste4.regards.arles.
105 PTR poste5.regards.arles.
106 PTR poste6.regards.arles.
107 PTR poste7.regards.arles.
108 PTR poste8.regards.arles.
109 PTR poste9.regards.arles.
110 PTR poste10.regards.arles.
111 PTR poste11.regards.arles.
112 PTR poste12.regards.arles.
113 PTR poste13.regards.arles.
114 PTR poste14.regards.arles.
--8<---------------------------------------

Any suggestions?

cheers from the sunny South of France,

Niki