Two name servers necessary

binddomain-name-systemnameservernetworking

I want to use my internet connection to host two personal websites (two different domains). I would also like to host mail for these domains.

This requires hosting my own name server. In the nameservers configuration section on my registrar's website, it requires two name servers. Probably for reliability?

I have previously used zoneedit.com, and they provided me with two nameservers but I would like to host it myself, save myself some coin, and learn how to configure bind for experience.

I only have one internet connection, and only have the ability to host one nameserver.
What are you supposed to do with the second name server?

Best Answer

The requirement to run two nameservers comes from §4.1 of RFC 1034, and is indeed for redundancy.

There are numerous providers who will offer you very cheap "secondary DNS" service where they transfer the zone file from your primary server using AXFR. For example, in the UK we have a well-known provider who'll do secondary service for 50 domains for just £2.30 a month (just over 3 bucks).

This will give you the ability to manage and run the zone yourself, but still give you the resiliency you need.

Related Solutions

Nslookup Failure

QUERY What could be going wrong here?

A couple of things are conspiring against you. :-(

The file /etc/resolv.conf could be a problem; its domain line gets set to an inappropriate value when I reboot.

How is your /etc/resolv.conf being created/populated?

My guess is that your IP address is being assigned by a DHCP server. As part of the IP address assignment, your DHCP client is rewriting /etc/resolv.conf with the domain and nameserver assigned by the DHCP server. Hence, the "inappropriate" value after you reboot.

NSLOOKUP OUTPUT nslookup gives the SERVER address of the default name server, but says "can't find workshop: NX domain."

This is because your default DNS server is not your local DNS server -- it is one of the DNS servers assigned to you by the DHCP server. This "other" DNS server does not know about your domain.

But nslookup still doesn't work after I edit the line to "domain example.net" and restart bind9.

That's because you need to add your local DNS server to the list of nameservers in /etc/resolv.conf. Immediately before any other nameserver entry, add ...

nameserver 127.0.0.1

Now, when you use nslookup, your local DNS server should be your default DNS server. nslookup should now be able to resolve "workshop".

UPDATE Here is the output of dig: Command: dig A @workshop workshop.example.net

This confirms that you have your domain correctly configured on your local bind DNS server.

As you've already experienced, your changes to /etc/resolv.conf will be overwritten the next time you reboot. You have two options:

Reconfigure your machine to use a static IP. /etc/resolv.conf won't be overwritten anymore, so your changes will persist after a reboot.
Reconfigure your DHCP client so that it does not overwrite /etc/resolv.conf. This thread should point you in the right direction.

DNS resolution problems; dig SERVFAIL error

I'd start with verifying, that your server runs:

netstat -an | grep ^udp | grep 53

It should show a line similar to

udp        0      0 0.0.0.0:53                0.0.0.0:*

If named doesn't run, then stop it (just to clean up), then start and see what it writes to log files (/var/log/messages, /var/named/data/named.run). There may be some typo that prevents the daemon from starting successfully.

Then I'd strip as much as I could from the named.conf. Minimal, basic config should be easier to troubleshoot. Then I'd add entries bit by bit, to see, which entry causes the server to balk.

Also try separately to resolve things locally from the server, and from a client outside. I hope you'll find what's wrong.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Nslookup Failure

DNS resolution problems; dig SERVFAIL error

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