Configuring a Static IP and DNS on a Windows Server Domain Controller

This lab continues from the previous project, where we set up a Windows Server domain controller. Here, we configure a static IP and DNS on the server,

Prerequisites

• Windows Server 2025 domain controller already configured.
  • See previous lab: Windows Server and AD DS Setup

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Step 1: Find the Server's Current IP Address

1. Open Command Prompt (search for cmd).

2. Run the following command:

   ipconfig

Note: This isn't a "real" public IP address — it's the IP assigned to the server by the VM when it was created. We'll reuse this existing IP address as our static IP, rather than picking a new one.

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Step 2: Assign a Static IP Address

Best practice: Servers should always have a static IP address, since a server's IP changing can break client connections and DNS resolution.

1. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet.
2. Click Edit under IP assignment.
3. Enter the IP address, subnet mask, and gateway found in Step 1.
4. For the preferred DNS server, use the loopback address (127.0.0.1) — this points the server to itself for DNS.

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Step 3: Restart and Verify

1. Restart the server to make sure the new settings are applied.

2. Once it's back up, open Command Prompt and run:

   ipconfig /all

This shows more detail than a plain ipconfig — including the DNS server, which confirms the settings were applied correctly.

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Next Lab: Creating OUs and Groups in AD