Help me understand DNS

[scroce]

I think I have a quasi overall understanding of what DNS is and how it works. Now I'm getting bogged down in a specific: Can someone tell me what is happening here:

I just signed up with a new ISP who will be hosting my site and providing me access to my webserver.

My website has a valid IP address, let's say its 123.456.789.321

My registered domain name is

http://www.mysite.com

If I go to http//123.456.789.321.com/index.asp, the page shows up.

But if I try

http://www.mysite.com/index.asp,

you get "page not found"

I can ping 123.456.789.321
I can do ping -a 123.456.789.321, and it will return the name of

http://www.mysite.com

I CANNOT ping

http://www.mysite.com

What is going on here?

I tried putting an entry in my hosts file (win2k) equating 123.456.789.321 with

http://www.mysite.com

- Why doesn't that work?

I think the part of the problem might be that the authoritative DNS servers are still with my old ISP (if you do a whois on

http://www.mysite.com,

it lists their servers).

Why can't my current ISP just make the entry into their DNS server database?

Lastly - how do I fix this name resolution problem?

thanks in advance


Q: Why is my computer doing that?
A: Random Perversity of Inanimate
Objects

 

[hexn]

Your ISP could just point your website to your server.

Or you can change your authoritative DNS with your registrar to yourself.

Either way will work.

 

[scroce]

you wrote:
Your ISP could just point your website to your server.

I thought so too, but they're telling me they can't do that. They're saying I have to call the other ISP (who apparently is the original registrar of the domain name, and tell them to change the domain name servers they have recorded to the new ones.

Does this mean that once you register a domain with a particular company that their server is forever and always your domain name's authoritative DNS server? Q: Why is my computer doing that?
A: Random Perversity of Inanimate
Objects

 

[ChrisAC]

You can move any domain to any ISP and use any DNS server! What's the domain name?

Chris.
**********************
Chris Andrew, CCNA, CCSA
chris@iproute.co.uk
**********************

 

[scroce]

ok - but then how do you do it? If you move your isp and they give you a new ip address, but the DNS server shows (i'm assuming that this is the problem) the old ip address, how do you update it?

it's texasassociationofpublicschools.org

(howd'ya like that name??)

Q: Why is my computer doing that?
A: Random Perversity of Inanimate
Objects

 

[ChrisAC]

Oh dear ..

whois -h magic texasassociationofpublicschools.org
Crsnic.net hasn't heard of texasassociationofpublicschools.org
No match for "TEXASASSOCIATIONOFPUBLICSCHOOLS.ORG".
Error - texasassociationofpublicschools.org doesn't exist

Your domain doesn't appear to exist. However, if it did then you can always transfer a domain from the control of one ISP to another and ask the new holder to change the record to reflect whatever pointing you need.

Chris.
**********************
Chris Andrew, CCNA, CCSA
chris@iproute.co.uk
**********************

 

[scroce]

yes, you're right. The logistics of this however, are proving challenging.

I'm still confused over the name resolution though

Why does ping -a see return the domain name, but then I can't ping the name itself - yet I can still ping the IP?

Q: Why is my computer doing that?
A: Random Perversity of Inanimate
Objects

 

[ChrisAC]

You will be able to ping the IP address of the server as it's obviously a live box. However, your domain doesn't appear to exist. There is no

http://www record

or any record for that domain name.

Whose DNS servers do you think it should be on?

Chris.
**********************
Chris Andrew, CCNA, CCSA
chris@iproute.co.uk
**********************

 

[hexn]

You need to remember, there are DNS things going on. One is an IP lookup when you type in a domain name, another is a domain name lookup when you type in an IP. The owner of either has full control.

If I owned 10.1.1.1, and I used my DNS to say it was poop.toilet.edu, then when you pinged or traced to that address, it would show that domain, even though it doesnt really exist.

Same in reverse, if I pointed

http://www.toilet.com

to 209.209.209.1, it would attempt to go there wether it actually existed or not, or wether I owned that IP or not.

Your domain does not exist. You must register it.

DNS server can be changed all you want on a domain. The process/policy of changing it is up to the registrar.

I use godaddy.com to register all my domains, they have a web login where I can change the DNS servers myself, anytime I want, as many times as I want.

Perhaps you should try them.

 

[scroce]

ok - so I tried to force resolution by putting an entry in my local hosts file.

I thought that a DNS request first looks there, and then if it doesn't find it, then it will send the search out to the nearest DNS server, or to the DNS server that I specify under TCP/IP.

how come that didn't work - or am i under misconception here. Q: Why is my computer doing that?
A: Random Perversity of Inanimate
Objects

 

[palbano]

>> Your domain doesn't appear to exist.

i guess that depends on where you look eh?

Domain ID94382477-LROR
Domain Name:TEXASASSOCIATIONOFPUBLICSCHOOLS.ORG
Created On:27-Jan-2003 17:56:13 UTC
Expiration Date:27-Jan-2004 17:56:13 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:R11-LROR
Status:TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:11-C

that is from network solutions. note the Status TRANSFER PROHIBITED

look at the entire listing, never seen that before what does it mean? anyone?

-pete

 

[ChrisAC]

Okay, so the domain is now showing as registered ..

Domain name: TEXASASSOCIATIONOFPUBLICSCHOOLS.ORG

Registration Service Provider:
Texas.Net, Inc., DNSTech@texas.net
Domain servers in listed order:
NS.RACKSPACE.COM
NS2.RACKSPACE.COM

But the rackspace.com servers point at ...

Authority:
org. 112434 NS m5.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS c5.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS i5.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS j5.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS f7.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS g7.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS e5.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS l7.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS a7.nstld.com.

.... and they point at ....

Authority:
texasassociationofpublicschools.org. 86400 NS ns2.texas.net.
texasassociationofpublicschools.org. 86400 NS ns3.texas.net.

So your domain servers appear to be ns2.texas.net and ns3.texas.net. So, lets query those servers for information on your domain ..

Query: texasassociationofpublicschools.org. Query type: A record
Recursive query: Yes Authoritative answer: No
Query time: 200 ms. Server name: ns2.texas.net

The name server "ns2.texas.net" failed to answer a query

oh dear. Try the other one ..

Query: texasassociationofpublicschools.org. Query type: A record
Recursive query: Yes Authoritative answer: No
Query time: 401 ms. Server name: ns3.texas.net

The name server "ns3.texas.net" failed to answer a query

Nothing! So it appears that you don't have any DNS information set up. Hence, if I try and ping your web site ..

C:\Documents and Settings\Chris>ping

http://www.texasassociationofpublicschools.org

Ping request could not find host

http://www.texasassociationofpublicschools.org.

Please check the name and try again.

So, forget about your local hosts file. If you want your site resolvable then you must have a DNS entry for it. At the moment it appears as though the people that should be hosting DNS for your domain have not created any records on the server. At the moment your DNS set up is pretty messed up! Talk to your ISP and get them to sort this mess out.

Chris.



**********************
Chris Andrew, CCNA, CCSA
chris@iproute.co.uk
**********************

 

[scroce]

OK - how did you figure this out? (see below in red) and what is it telling me?


But the rackspace.com servers point at ...


Authority:
org. 112434 NS m5.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS c5.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS i5.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS j5.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS f7.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS g7.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS e5.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS l7.nstld.com.
org. 112434 NS a7.nstld.com.

.... and they point at ....

Authority:
texasassociationofpublicschools.org. 86400 NS ns2.texas.net.
texasassociationofpublicschools.org. 86400 NS ns3.texas.net.


...and furthermore what query utility did you run to obtain the below (in blue)



So your domain servers appear to be ns2.texas.net and ns3.texas.net. So, lets query those servers for information on your domain ..

Query: texasassociationofpublicschools.org. Query type: A record
Recursive query: Yes Authoritative answer: No
Query time: 200 ms. Server name: ns2.texas.net

The name server "ns2.texas.net" failed to answer a query



and it would seem to me that that texas.net's DNS servers have nothing as an entry for that domain name - which is why it's not resolving. My guess is that it might have been when we switched ISP's - maybe they deleted our info from their DNS settings??????

Tech support gave me a URL (kind of like what inikis was talking about above) where I ought to be able to log on and adjust DNS myself. I'll let you know how that pans out.

again everyone - thanks for the discussion! Q: Why is my computer doing that?
A: Random Perversity of Inanimate
Objects

 

[scroce]

This was ultimate resolved by the people who control the authoritative domain servers granting me access view a website to change/manage dns settings.

Q: Why is my computer doing that?
A: Random Perversity of Inanimate
Objects

 

[ChrisAC]

Query: texasassociationofpublicschools.org. Query type: Any record
Recursive query: Yes Authoritative answer: Yes
Query time: 761 ms. Server name: n/a

Answer:
texasassociationofpublicschools.org. 86400 A 65.61.155.73
texasassociationofpublicschools.org. 86400 NS ns2.rackspace.com.
texasassociationofpublicschools.org. 86400 NS ns.rackspace.com.
texasassociationofpublicschools.org. 86400 SOA ns.rackspace.com.
hostmaster.rackspace.com.
2003022511 ; serial
10800 ; refresh (3 hours)
3600 ; retry (1 hour)
604800 ; expire (7 days)
86400 ; minimum (1 day)

Additional:
ns2.rackspace.com. 86400 A 207.71.44.121
ns.rackspace.com. 86400 A 207.235.16.2

That's much better.

;-)

**********************
Chris Andrew, CCNA, CCSA
chris@iproute.co.uk
**********************

 

[scroce]

chris, what commands did you do to run those queries? i.e. where did you get the information that you just posted?

thx Q: Why is my computer doing that?
A: Random Perversity of Inanimate
Objects

 

[ChrisAC]

http://www.menandmice.com/products/dnsexpert/download.html

Chris.
**********************
Chris Andrew, CCNA, CCSA
chris@iproute.co.uk
**********************

 

[pansophic]

There are actually 13 root servers for DNS, they are A.root-servers.net through M.root-servers.net.

http://www.menandmice.com/online_docs_and_faq/glossary/glossarytoc.htm?root.server.htm

They are located throughout the world and are the ultimate authority over all DNS queries.

The ISC operates the F.root-servers.net server, you can read about it here:

http://www.isc.org/services/public/F-root-server.html

The M.root-servers.net is located in Japan. Here is some info about it:

http://m.root-servers.org/

pansophic

 

[scroce]

i wonder what it looks like, I mean is it like a giant underground repository of hundreds of computers, or is it like one big mainframe-type super computer Q: Why is my computer doing that?
A: Random Perversity of Inanimate
Objects

 

[pansophic]

If you read the article in my previous post about the F root server, they explain that the F-root server is a "virtual" server made up of multiple systems.

There is a link on that page to this press release:

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 2003-- TELEHOUSE(TM) America (

http://www.telehouse.com),

a pioneer of neutral, power-protected, secure colocation space and services, and Internet Software Consortium (

http://www.isc.org),

a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to developing and maintaining production quality Open Source reference implementations of core Internet protocols, will jointly establish mirrors of the F-root DNS name root server at two TELEHOUSE America locations. The new servers are mirrors of one of only 13 root servers in the world and will permit ISC to provide and maintain a more reliable Internet infrastructure in the U.S.

The agreement with TELEHOUSE supports ISC's efforts to build a more robust DNS mechanism by having its root server mirrored in two additional U.S. locations. Under the new partnership, TELEHOUSE will provide root server colocation services, hosting servers, and Gigabit Ethernet peering ports in its New York International Internet Exchange (NYIIX) and Los Angeles International Internet Exchange (LAIIX). Juniper Networks (Nasdaq: JNPR - News) M-series routing platforms were selected by ISC for its leading performance, reliability, and security capabilities......
-----

truncated for brevity.
pansophic