SK0-004 · Question #760
A server technician has just finished provisioning a Windows server offline. Per company policy, all servers' network settings must be configured manually. The technician is able to ping the IP…
The correct answer is B. DNS settings are not configured on the server. Windows Active Directory domain joining depends on DNS SRV records to locate domain controllers, so missing DNS configuration causes a 'Cannot find domain controller' error even when IP connectivity is fully functional.
Question
A server technician has just finished provisioning a Windows server offline. Per company policy, all servers' network settings must be configured manually. The technician is able to ping the IP addresses of servers on multiple networks. When attempting to join the server to the domain, the technician receives the error: Cannot find domain controller. Which of the following is MOST likely the cause of this issue?
Options
- AWINS settings are not configured on the server
- BDNS settings are not configured on the server
- CThe default gateway is not configured on the server
- DThe subnet mask is not configured on the server
How the community answered
(25 responses)- A8% (2)
- B84% (21)
- C4% (1)
- D4% (1)
Why each option
Windows Active Directory domain joining depends on DNS SRV records to locate domain controllers, so missing DNS configuration causes a 'Cannot find domain controller' error even when IP connectivity is fully functional.
WINS provides legacy NetBIOS name resolution and is not used by modern Active Directory for DC location - AD relies entirely on DNS SRV records.
Active Directory uses DNS SRV records (e.g., _ldap._tcp.<domain>) to advertise the location of domain controllers. Without a valid DNS server address configured, the server cannot resolve these records and therefore cannot discover any DC to join the domain. IP-level ping success confirms routing and addressing are correct, which isolates the failure specifically to name resolution.
The default gateway is confirmed to be working because the technician can successfully ping servers on multiple remote networks, which requires functioning inter-network routing.
The subnet mask is clearly configured correctly because cross-network pings would fail entirely if the subnet mask were missing or wrong.
Concept tested: DNS dependency for Active Directory domain controller discovery
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/active-directory/how-domain-controllers-are-located
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