Re: [cobalt-users] domaintransfer -> ping: unknown host

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

dhbolton wrote:

> As a newbie wih one RAQ, here are a few pertinent things I've found out:
> (1) Are both nameservers on the same IP? This is a very bad thing (I've been
> told).

Not true.  What is true is that you could NOT do it for
.com/.net/.org/.edu domains until late January of this year.  But now
you can with registrars that have enabled it (we're one of the
registrars that HAVE enabled it).

It's not a good idea, that's true, but that's because it's NOT a good
idea to have both nameservers posting to the same machine.  If you're
going to do that, then using the same IP# is NOT worse.

You still can't use two nameservers at the same IP# with Network
Solutions; you probably can't at most country top-level domains as well.

The reason we implemented it is so we could host secondary nameservers
for lots of clients at one IP#.

> (2) Have you registered your name servers with the global Named Registry (I
> think its called)? My domain name registrar won't allow me to transfer
> domains to the box  until they are registered.

What do you mean?  Transfer names to what box?  Do you mean register
domains?  That's true; you have to have two registered nameservers for
every domain you register.  For setting up DNS?  That's not true, you
can certainly set up DNS before your servers are registered.  Do you
mean setting up domains on your RaQ?  That's not true either, the RaQ
doesn't care.  Sorry, I don't understand your points.

Also perhaps we should clear one thing up; as individuals we don't
register our nameservers with any global registry (at least not for
.com/.net/.edu domains; we register them with our registrar, who
registers them with the global registry.

> (3) Have you added the PTR record on your RAQ for the site. (For reverse IP
> lookups, I'm not sure if its needed)

Adding PTR records to your RaQ DNS server is only necessary if your
upstream provider (whoever gave you your IP#s) has delegated reverse
lookup to you, and most don't, unless they've allocated you an entire
C-class or more.

> You should do what I did, look around (on this list actually) for someone in
> the same boat with a box and offer to do each other's secondary. You might
> also find people offering secondary DNS for free or very low cost.

Lots of people are willing to exchange secondary; make sure you do it
with someone who knows what they're doing; they have to add a record to
their nameserver every time you add a domain.  And vice-versa.

We're one of those "low cost" secondary DNS providers; ask for more
information offlist if you're in need of such services.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Linux and Cobalt/Sun/RaQ Consulting
nobaloney.net
P. O. Box 52672, Riverside, CA  92517
voice: (909) 778-9980  *  fax: (702) 548-9484