OT: personal DNS server?

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Rick T - 26 Mar 2005 21:49 GMT

Hiya

Anybody know of a personal DNS server you can use? ie: such that a
program will go to the regular DNS server the first time for a name
lookup but then goes internally the next time(s).

Rick
(my ISP sucks)

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Mike M - 26 Mar 2005 22:14 GMT

Rick,

Why not simply use another DNS server rather than your ISPs? This is
relatively easy to configure and would solve your problem. Alternatively
configure your ISP's DNS server as your primary server and that of another
ISP as your secondary? Note that the secondary server would be accessed
when the primary does not respond not when the primary cannot locate the
entry since if a DNS server cannot locate the required entry in either its
cache or its database it then automatically asks another upstream DNS
server such as a root server.

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Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com

> Hiya
>
> Anybody know of a personal DNS server you can use? ie: such that a
> program will go to the regular DNS server the first time for a name
> lookup but then goes internally the next time(s).

Reply to this Message

Rick T - 26 Mar 2005 22:29 GMT

> Rick,
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> entry in either its cache or its database it then automatically asks
> another upstream DNS server such as a root server.

The problem I(we) are getting is "not founds" and timeouts (or hangs)...
happens (my estimate) about 5-10% of the time; even when a page has just
been visited. Isn't restricted to small-stuff either, does the same for
Google, etc.

So I'd just want a DNS cache on my machine to be the first thing to try.
That'd be fastest anyways.

Rick

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Mike M - 26 Mar 2005 22:49 GMT

AFAIK you already have a DNS cache on your PC as part of the operating
system and this is the first place that is checked to resolve a DNS name.
OK, I'm not certain which is checked first the local cache or the HOSTS
file but think it is the cache.

Signature

Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com

> The problem I(we) are getting is "not founds" and timeouts (or
> hangs)... happens (my estimate) about 5-10% of the time; even when a
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> So I'd just want a DNS cache on my machine to be the first thing to
> try. That'd be fastest anyways.

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Mike M - 26 Mar 2005 22:22 GMT

Turning to your comment about a personal DNS server that is the purpose of
the hosts file. Whilst a hosts file is nowadays more often used to
prevent access to certain sites it can also be used to resolve sites that
are for some reason having problems being resolved using your ISPs DNS
server.

If on the other hand you are asking for a list of alternative DNS servers
to use I have a list of twenty or so but since they are all UK based they
would not be ideal and would suggest you find others more local to
location.

Signature

Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com

> Anybody know of a personal DNS server you can use? ie: such that a
> program will go to the regular DNS server the first time for a name
> lookup but then goes internally the next time(s).

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Ron Lowe - 21 Apr 2005 16:39 GMT

> Hiya
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Rick
> (my ISP sucks)

BIND - LE for win98/me
http://ntcanuck.com/temppage-Ra.htm

( the newer version, treewalk, is for 2000/XP only. )

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Best Regards,
Ron Lowe
MS-MVP Windows Networking

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Rick T - 21 Apr 2005 17:07 GMT

>> Hiya
>>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>> Rick
>> (my ISP sucks)

> BIND - LE for win98/me
> http://ntcanuck.com/temppage-Ra.htm
>
> ( the newer version, treewalk, is for 2000/XP only. )

Thanks Ron, just installed... I still don't understand why it
(apparently) gets flushed on reboot though.

Rick

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Ron Lowe - 21 Apr 2005 21:54 GMT

>> BIND - LE for win98/me
>> http://ntcanuck.com/temppage-Ra.htm

> Thanks Ron, just installed... I still don't understand why it (apparently)
> gets flushed on reboot though.

<shrugs> dunno. I can't see it would have been a great hardship to
write the cache out to disk, and read it when the program re-starts.

I've not used it myself, I use my local win2003 server DNS.

Incidentally, since your ISP's DNS is so poor ( not uncommon ) then you
should look at the configuration options. I imagine you can configure it to
either query your ISP's DNS as a forwarder, or to completely bypass your ISP
and use the Root Hints and query from the ground up. See which works best
for you.

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Best Regards,
Ron Lowe
MS-MVP Windows Networking

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