Help understand DNS name choice during NT4 to 2003 upgrade

[setfree]

Before anybody scolds me for not knowing what I am doing, please know that this scenerio is only being performed on a test network.

That being said, I am evaluating upgrading our very small and simple network from NT4 to 2003.

My scenerio:

1 NT4 DC

1 NT4 Member Server

1 W2K Member Server

1 Domain and 20 users.

Using an interim box, I installed NT4 as a BDC and promoted it to DC. Then I upgrade it to 2003.

Everything is going smoothly and I have ironed out some gotcha' in the process. My question is naming the Full DNS Name for the New Domain.

I have read through all the Tech notes and such but am still confused as to how to name it for our situation. I am going to go through some test scenarios in the lab setup but would really like to get some input from anyone that has some knowledge first.

We have a website that is hosted by a third party hosting compnay but we may want to host it ourself eventually. Our current domain name is not the same as our website domain.

Should the DNS name be currentwebsite.com or something like internal.currentwebsite.com ?

Any insight is very much appreciated!

[fizban2]

build the DNS name like currentwebsite.com would be a good way to go about it. this way your internal and extrenal sites are named to same, makes for less confusions and some simplicity, also allows for ease of setting of service like owa for exchange, in that case you would have owa.currentwebsite.com, where as of the DNS was different you would have to modify things a little to get to the site. not sure if that helps, but teh main point that having both the same would be benefical

[cluberti]

Doing it this way is sometimes referred to as a "split DNS". Google that for more information - a very good way to set up your domain if you plan on offering internal services to your traveling users via the 'net (especially via ISA server) in the future.

[fizban2]

thanks cluberti, i couldn't remeber the nickname earlier