SBS Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller: Unable to re assign DC DNS IP from 3rd PCIe NIC to 1 of 2 MoBo NICs on Dual LAN Dell Server

SBS Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller: Unable to re assign DC DNS IP from 3rd PCIe NIC to 1 of 2 MoBo NICs on Dual LAN Dell Server 

**Issue:**
I've been unable to take the x.2 IP (for DNS & DC) currently assigned to PCIe NIC and assign it to one of the MoBo NICs. 
What would be foolproof steps to do so? 
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SBS Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller: DC IP assignment issues on Multi NIC Dell Server 

**Hardware:**
- Dell T410 Server – Dual NIC + Additional NIC added by tech

**History:**
- For some weird reason an MSP tech as well as Dell tech concluded initially that the MoBo was gone. Then they concluded that the NICs were busted.

- I asked them (on the phone) to check via a Bootable PE/ Linux Disc and the NICs showed but they said not working.

- They chose to install 3^rd a PCIe Gigabit NIC and IP was assigned and things got working.

- Apparently, in their & my experience when forced to, the Mobo NIC takes up the 169.x.x.x address 

**Additional:**

- There’s a **temporary DC** (**Win Server 2008**) instance sitting on a Win 8.1 PC Box on Hyper V (**192.168.10.201**) 

- Also, realized there's some FSMO role issues between both DCs. **The MSP guy had tried to transfer FSMO roles to the temporary Win 2008 DC, but from my recent reading, SBS DCs are not really fond of such things.** 

- **From my CMD output a month back it seems the FSMO roles were partially divided between both. Weird?** 

- **DHCP function** disabled and managed by a **Router/ Firewall** (at the moment) (**192.168.10.6**)

**Recent:**

Fast forward a few months, I realized the NICs are working (as I booted the machine via another HDD into a different Win Server 08 instance). Also visible & working via Dell OMSA bootable Discs (based on Linux)

- I tried reassigning the IP to the original MoBo NICs but it just wouldn’t hold.

- I could get the MoBo NIC to take other IP addresses (.x.3/.x.4), but it would not be able to take the DC IP, even if I remove the (.x.2) IP from the 3^rd PCIe NIC.

- MoBo NIC is also able to get different IP via DHCP (hence DHCP is shows enabled below)

- Things are functional/ working but I'd like to eliminate this PCIe NIC prior to a P2V

- Also, would like to understand why and how this issue has come up? 

- I thought it should be as simple as um-assigning IP from PCIe NIC and then assigning it to 1 of the two MoBo NICs - **Are there Fool proof, kosher steps to do that?** 

Upon googling I learnt **there are some DNS/ DC/ NIC assignment dynamics** – But **nothing clear & conclusive on how it works, how to fix and get around this**.

Thoughts, suggestions, direction and solutions on how to fix this ?

**Admin CMD: `ipconfig /all` Dump**

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**Windows IP Configuration**
   Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : OrgnztnSBS
   Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . : Orgnztn.local
   Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
   IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : Orgnztn.local

**Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 7:**
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : **Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller**
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-EF-3A-00-00
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::d0e9:c802:5f4a:beca%18(Preferred)
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.2(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   **Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.6**
   DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 436207855
   DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-18-72-81-8F-78-2B-CB-06-E3-CC

   **DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.2 | 
                                      192.168.10.201**
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

**Ethernet adapter LAN:**
   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : **Broadcom BCM5716C NetXtreme II GigE (NDIS VBD Client)**
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 78-2B-CB-06-E3-CC
   **DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes**
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

**Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:**
   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : **Broadcom BCM5716C NetXtreme II GigE (NDIS VBD Client) #2**
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 78-2B-CB-06-E3-CB
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

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