Re: [cobalt-users] DNS issue...am I going mad?

[Jeff Lasman <blists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Monday 22 March 2004 11:14 am, Andy Jacobs wrote:

> Well, after puzzling over this one I'm completely stuck.
>
> http://www.davidjones.uk.com

It's Thursday and this is still pointing to 212.67.197.197.

I believe I know why:

> I do a DNS check and it shows it's pointing to:
>
> ns.redcatmedia.net (212.67.196.157)
> ns2.redcatmedia.net (212.67.196.157)

It's not.

Tracing DNS through from a.root-servers.net:

<snip>
[jeff@of1 jeff]$ dig @a.root-servers.net www.davidjones.uk.com

; <<>> DiG 9.2.1 <<>> @a.root-servers.net www.davidjones.uk.com
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 51311
;; flags: qr rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 13, ADDITIONAL: 13

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;www.davidjones.uk.com.         IN      A

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
com.                    172800  IN      NS      A.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.
</snip>

Note that a.root-servers.net (above) and a.gtld-servers.net (below) are 
NOT recursive servers; they can only tell us the names of other 
nameservers to use.

So continuing through a.gtld-servers.net:

<snip>
[jeff@of1 jeff]$ dig @a.gtld-servers.net www.davidjones.uk.com

; <<>> DiG 9.2.1 <<>> @a.gtld-servers.net www.davidjones.uk.com
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 24209
;; flags: qr rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 5, ADDITIONAL: 5

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;www.davidjones.uk.com.         IN      A

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
uk.com.                 172800  IN      NS      lon-ns-2.centralnic.net.
</snip>

So now we'll check lon-ns-2.centralnic.net (which IS a recursive server 
and will both tell us the authoritative nameserver and the final A 
record address:

<snip>
[jeff@of1 jeff]$ dig @lon-ns-2.centralnic.net www.davidjones.uk.com

; <<>> DiG 9.2.1 <<>> @lon-ns-2.centralnic.net www.davidjones.uk.com
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 59426
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;www.davidjones.uk.com.         IN      A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
www.davidjones.uk.com.  86400   IN      A       212.67.197.197

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
www.davidjones.uk.com.  86400   IN      NS      ns.mediamarks.net.
</snip>

Which tell us that the nameserver is ns.mediamarks.net, NOT either 
ns.redcatmedia.net or ns2.redcatmedia.net.

And that nameserver (ns.mediamarks.net) is returning 212.67.197.197.

Mystery solved.

To fix the problem you'll have to find the people that manage DNS at 
lon-ns-2.centralnic.net and the other listed nameservers for the domain 
(the above is a abridged copy of the response I actually got); probably 
that's the people that run the uk.com domain.

While your whois record shows the two nameservers at redcatmedia.net, 
the records in the gtld servers show ns.mediamarks.net as your 
nameserver.

DNS is working right; your RaQ is probably working right.  Someone has 
got your DNS all bullo^H^H^H^H^H^H messed up.

Nice furniture though <smile>.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman, nobaloney.net, P. O. Box 52672, Riverside, CA  92517 US
Professional Internet Services & Support / Consulting / Colocation
Our blists address used on lists is for list email only
Phone +1 909 324-9706, or see: "http://www.nobaloney.net/contactus.html";