[Discuss] DNS problems

[Steven Kurylo]

>          At my registrar, I have updated the DNS settings so that the
> primary DNS is set to a working name server that responds to queries.
> I have tested that the name server in question does indeed have the
> correct information and responds with it as such.
>          The problem is that when I query any other DNS, the response
> is that there is no SOA/name servers. I can only surmise that there
> is some sort of configuration problem with the main DNS.

I don't understand, maybe the terminology is wrong.  Other DNS servers
should respond that there is no record, as their not the server for
your record.

However if you query a DNS cache, it should come back with the correct
answer.  Before you get into that, ensure the DNS chain is actually
working.

For example, www.google.com
*I've removed most of the output for brevity
1)Ask a root server
#dig @198.41.0.4 www.google.com
A.GTLD-SERVERS.NET.     172800  IN      A       192.5.6.30
2)Ask the next server (in this case, the com server)
#dig @192.5.6.30 www.google.com
ns1.google.com.         172800  IN      A       216.239.32.10
3)Ok, now ask the google server
#dig @216.239.32.10 www.google.com
www.google.com.         604800  IN      CNAME   www.l.google.com.
a.l.google.com.         86400   IN      A       216.239.53.9
4)So now we have to ask about www.l.google.com.
#dig @216.239.53.9 www.l.google.com.
www.l.google.com.       300     IN      A       66.102.7.99

Which is our final answer.  So you have to be able to do that first.
Then you can worry about other DNS caches (not servers) getting the
answer right.  Unless there is a firewall, they should just work.

-- 
Steven Kurylo