Windows and reverse lookup and DHCP

[Jonathan de Boyne Pollard]

SW> However some of the Windows machines were apparently completing
SW> DHCP handshake with the DHCP server on booting, and then ignoring
SW> the address proferred and picking one in the zero administraion 
SW> IP range.

If the Microsoft DHCP Client is assigning a 169.254.*.* address to the 
interface, this is because it has _not_ accepted a lease, and in fact 
has probably not even heard from a DHCP server at all.

This is not a BIND problem.  Nor, quite probably, is it even a DNS 
problem (your reverse lookup faults being a red herring).  This is a 
DHCP problem (and possibly simply an IP connectivity problem).  The 
first thing that you should have done is looked at the logs of your 
DHCP server and DHCP clients to find out what was happening.

Do so.  Then read the documentation for Microsoft's DHCP Client, 
paying particular attention to the "Troubleshooting" section.

<URL:http://microsoft.com./technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/proddocs/entserver/sag_DHCPtopnode.asp?frame=true>