Joining a Windows Host to a Domain

This post contains a demo of joining a Windows Server onto a test Domain, which I created in my previous post (Installing Active Directory on Windows Server 2016).

Joining a Windows Computer to Active Directory Domain Services is required in 99% of Corporate environments, and is usually a Systems Administrator task to configure at the Domain Controller side. Adding a computer to AD allows your computer to be administered via Group Policies that can be applied to all remote computers globally within your company. This helps companies lock down computers and roll out new software or updates.

There are 2 parts to this one:
> Creating a New Domain User Account
> Joining a Windows Server to a Domain

Creating a New Domain User Account

I’m creating a new user account for me to carry out all changes required to set up my lab. It’ll be a new OU in AD, create a new user account and then add it to the Domain Admin group.

1. Right-click the Domain Name within Active Directory Users and Computers, select New and Organisational Unit:

2. Enter the new OU name – I’m going to pretend I’m in the IT Department:

3. Within the IT OU, right-click and select New-User:

4. Enter new user details:

5. Enter password stuff:

6. Finish:

7. Right-click the new user and select Add to a group:

8. Enter king group, Domain Admins:

Joining a Windows Server to a Domain

1. First, I have to get onto the same private IP range as the DC:

2. Within Server Manager, click the Computer name link:

3. Click Change:

4. Amend the hostname and enter the Domain name:

5. Enter credentials for an account that can join the domain (the account created above within this post would also work):

6. When the server next boots up a domain user account can log in:

And that should be us!