DNS Name server change

[RJDavison]

I've set up my own home DNS server to run a domain I have registered with F2S - 'casezero.net'

I've created all the correct zone files etc and bind is working fine resolving all internal hosts, and I'm guessing all that was left to do was change the two name servers from the standard ns0 and ns1.freedom2serf.net shown on the web dashboard to point to my own server.

This was done over 3 days ago and nslookup still shows the ns0 and ns1 servers being authoritative for this domain.

I've only got one name server running at the moment. Does the dashboard expect you to have two separate servers before it will make the change ?

When you put in different name servers into the dashboard, it makes a statement that all below settings will be ignored as the name servers have been changes. I'm taking it that this relates to just the DNS A records etc that I had in before, and its not also ignoring the new name servers.

If I'm doing something worng and I should be changing something else, can someone please let me know, as I'm without email etc at the moment with the only recorse is to revert back to using the f2s name servers and DNS settings.

[kmount]

The domain registrar is Tucows; so I guess you're making the changes there?

You should be able to make ns1.casezero.net and ns2.casezero.net as the two and just point them both to the same IP (your f2s one) with glue if possible.

Fire me a pm if you want me to have a look with you in Tucows.

[RJDavison]

Thanks and I've just sent a PM.

When using onlne DNS tools, the name servers come up as...

Registrar of Record: TUCOWS, INC.
Record last updated on 16-Apr-2008.
Record expires on 10-Apr-2009.
Record created on 10-Apr-2006.

Registrar Domain Name Help Center:
Tucows Domain Name Help Center

Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.FREEDOM2SURF.NET
NS0.FREEDOM2SURF.NET Should I therefore not be changing the F2S name servers and not something at Tucows ?

Or it is Tucows that holds the information that the F2S name servers and the ones to use ?

[RJDavison]

Oh, and I've got through to Tucows, but need a username and password for the domain. I've blindly tried my F2S details, but no good.

Guess I need to contact F2S to get this info ?

[kmount]

From my understanding of looking at it:

Casezero.net was registered with Tucows (as a registrar) and currently the nameservers are pointing to freedom2surf which you can use to amend/etc A/MX/CNAME records from inside f2s' members area.

To actually make it so you can control the dns on a local nameserver you'll need to update the information the registrar holds so it doesn't point to f2s.

It's interesting that you bought the domain via f2s yet it's showing up as Tucows; that I can't fathom out unless f2s registered it with Tucows on your behalf, in which case yeah, you'd be best speaking to f2s.

If you don't get any dice from dealing with them (I'm a little skeptical these days...) then because you're listed as the registrant they may well help you out directly.

Now, that being said, if all you want to do is sort out email you could leave the nameservers as they are with f2s and create the records on their panel and it should kick in at around 9:30am in the morning (that seems to be the time their automated jobs run).

Sorry I can't help much further =(

[aos101]

I think F2S may do some registrations through Tucows (e.g. freedom2surf.net is registered with Tucows), so when you change things in the F2S web interface they then send the updates to Tucows who process them. You shouldn't need to (and probably cannot) contact Tucows yourself and get them to change things (since you have no contract with them).

I'm pretty sure you have to have two DNS servers minimum, so the F2S web interface might have not made the update since you only entered one. Have you tried entering two DNS servers in the F2S members area and see if it does the update?

[kmount]

Ah, some kind of API; I hadn't thought of that.

He should be able to contact Tucows if something goes awry (like f2s no longer existing in the future, or the fact that neither contact exists anymore!) as he's listed as the "Registrar's Registrant".

[kmount]

I could be wrong of course, but it would suck if I am.

[RJDavison]

Thanks guys for the debate.

What if I only run one DNS server and enter the details into the F2S dashboard but give the second one a fictitious domain nam and IP address ?

Does the system ping the IP addresses to see if they actually exist and are listening for DNS requests ?

[kmount]

Not a good idea as it would mean that ~50% of your requests would return fail.

I don't have a domain with f2s, but can it take different hostnames but the same IP? (IE, ns1.yourdomain.com and ns2.yourdomain.com but both with your IP?)

It might not even be necessary to provide an IP for the second one as glue could apply to the first.

[Justin]

It's showing up as changed now, though all of the F2S information in the whois, is incorrect.

[kmount]

Ah good morning.

An update has occurred! It looks like it's worked but one of the nameservers is made up I'd guess as it's not responding to requests.

chaz@prozac ~ $ dig @huey.casezero.net www.casezero.net

; <<>> DiG 9.4.2-P2 <<>> @huey.casezero.net www.casezero.net
; (1 server found)
;; global options: printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached
chaz@prozac ~ $ dig @duey.casezero.net www.casezero.net

; <<>> DiG 9.4.2-P2 <<>> @duey.casezero.net www.casezero.net
; (1 server found)
;; global options: printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 65467
;; flags: qr aa rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 2, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 1
;; WARNING: recursion requested but not available

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;www.casezero.net. IN A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
www.casezero.net. 0 IN CNAME casezero.net.
casezero.net. 0 IN A 81.142.12.226

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
casezero.net. 0 IN NS duey.casezero.net.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
duey.casezero.net. 0 IN A 81.142.12.226

;; Query time: 49 msec
;; SERVER: 81.142.12.226#53(81.142.12.226)
;; WHEN: Thu Jan 1 11:51:23 2009
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 99

chaz@prozac ~ $

I can also see a valid MX for casezero.net's email provision at

casezero.net MX 10 mail.casezero.net

mail.casezero.net A 81.142.12.226

Going to need to do something about your secondary nameserver otherwise it could get a bit hit and miss.

Perhaps use Zoneedit's free provision as a secondary provider? Their FAQ suggests its fairly easy to configure secondary through them.

Might be worth a go!

[RJDavison]

Yeah. I reset the name servers back to the standard F2S ones and then re-inputted my server details just on the off chance that something was sticking.

I made the second one up just to see if it would work, and whilst I bring another virtual server online to work as a secondary name server.

I didnt realise that companies did free secondary name servers, so will be looking into that as an option.

Thanks for all the help. I'm now back in email heaven.

[kmount]

You could in theory if you wanted to just bind that second IP to the first one so it'd be 1 DNS server but with two interfaces and the world wouldn't be any the wiser.

Another server is a better long term idea though!

[RJDavison]

One final query.....

I've tried getting to my website using ip address only and it doesnt connect. Does this mean my in-add.arpa zone file could be wrong. Bind inslt telling me that there is a problem in the log file.

Here is my file.....

$TTL 3600 ;1 hour
0.168.192.in-addr.arpa. IN SOA duey.casezero.net. robert.casezero.net. (
2009010107 ;serial
10800 ;refresh
3600 ;retry
604800 ;expire
3600 ;minimum TTL
)

;DNS Servers
IN NS duey.casezero.net.

;Machine Names
3 IN PTR casezero.net.
1 IN PTR router.casezero.net.
2 IN PTR AP521.casezero.net.
3 IN PTR duey.casezero.net.
3 IN PTR mail.casezero.net
5 IN PTR opensolaris.casezero.net.

[aos101]

I can get to the site by IP only (it just says "It Works!" like on the site). If you are trying to access it using your public IP from behind your router, it may be that the router doesn't support loopback connections and instead sends the traffic to the router (so it tries to load a webpage from the router).

[kmount]

www.casezero.net works fine for me and shows the default apache landing page.

If you're using your public IP it may not work properly internally as Adam said, you might be served by modifying your hosts file or so internally to remap www.casezero.net to your internal IP.