Q. Host (A) records may contain incorrect IP addresses if you configure a Windows Server 2003 DHCP server to update A records and PTR records in DNS?

The host (A) records for one or more clients contain incorrect IP address, preventing name resolution, when a Windows Server 2003 DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server is configured to update A records and PTR records in DNS.

This behavior can occur if there is no reverse lookup zone for the IP subnet, or if the reverse lookup zone is not configured to allow dynamic updates.

Since there is no dynamic reverse lookup zone, the registration fails, but the DHCP database cleanup, performed every 60 minutes, attempts the registrations that previously failed. If the client has moved to a new IP subnet, the the A record is registered using the old IP address.

To resolve this issue, create a reverse lookup zone for the subnet that hosts the client computer in DNS. Configure it to allow dynamic updates by using the DNS tab of the Scope Properties of DHCP Manager and setting one or both of the following:

Dynamically update DNS A and PTR records for DHCP clients that do not request updates.
Always dynamically update DNS A and PTR records

NOTE: See Netsh commands for DHCP database cleanup interval