Re: [cobalt-users] dns and nameservers

["Eaglewerks" <eaglewerks@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is how it was designed to work, and how it is supposed to work:

1) The interNIC registration for a particular Domain Name  list the
'registered' name servers in order they are to be tried:
i.e.:
Domain Name: GAMERSNET.NET
Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS, INC.
Whois Server: whois.networksolutions.com
Referral URL: www.networksolutions.com
Name Server: NS1.EAGLEWERKS.COM [primary]
Name Server: NS1.COMSEC.NET [secondary]
Updated Date: 21-nov-2000

2) REGISTERED Name Servers are listed with interNIC in this fashion:


   Server Name: NS1.EAGLEWERKS.COM
   IP Address: 207.212.196.110
   Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS, INC.
   Whois Server: whois.networksolutions.com
   Referral URL: www.networksolutions.com

3) The whois information from the interNIC database is maintained and
up-dated by a number of Tier 1 and lower name servers.

4) The modern browsers will work up-ward through the various name servers
until they reach a response from a name server (potentially all the way to
the interNIC database) until the browser receives a response directing it to
the domain's name server.

5) The browser is supposed to (by original on-paper design) to also look for
the second or even third or fourth name servers for any particular Domain
should the primary one fail to respond.  HOWEVER by practice most commonly
used browsers will only look for the primary, and if it fails to respond
then the browser will send  to the user an error response rather than look
further for the secondary, etc name servers.

The Original reason for having the Name server and the Secondary Name
servers on different servers and in different locations of the country was
so that the Browser could get the needed final IP number of the requested
Domain Name, and then route to that IP number, even if major portions of the
INTERNET was down for reason of calamity such as war (nuclear war).

With the current state of the INTERNET and the squabbles between the major
'commercial' backbone providers and that many will only use their preferred
or contracted route, much of the INTERNET fails to function as it was
designed.  And it is getting worse.

Other list users may wish to correct or clarify what I have said, but for
the most part I believe this is reasonably correct information, at least
from my vantage point.

Bill Feldman,
owner
Eaglewerks
etc.