DNS

How to Check the DNS Records of a Domain

Understanding the Domain Name System (DNS) records of a domain is essential for website administration, troubleshooting, and ensuring proper configuration. This guide demonstrates how to retrieve and interpret the DNS records for vmstate.com using the nslookup command-line tool in Windows.

Step 1: Identify the Authoritative Name Servers

Authoritative name servers are responsible for providing answers to queries about domains within their zones. To find the authoritative name servers for vmstate.com, follow these steps:

Execute the following command in the Command Prompt in Windows or Terminal in Linux. This command queries the DNS to retrieve the Name Server (NS) records for vmstate.com.

nslookup -type=NS vmstate.com
Sample response is given below: 
Server:     	127.0.0.53
Address:    	127.0.0.53#53

Non-authoritative answer:
vmstate.com 	nameserver = ns44.domaincontrol.com.
vmstate.com 	nameserver = ns43.domaincontrol.com.

The output indicates that the authoritative name servers for vmstate.com are ns44.domaincontrol.com and ns43.domaincontrol.com.

Step 2: Query DNS Records from an Authoritative Name Server

To obtain detailed DNS records directly from an authoritative name server, use the following command:

nslookup -type=ANY vmstate.com ns43.domaincontrol.com

Sample response is given below:

Server:     	ns43.domaincontrol.com
Address:    	97.74.101.22

vmstate.com 	internet address = 54.198.45.102
vmstate.com 	nameserver = ns43.domaincontrol.com
vmstate.com 	nameserver = ns44.domaincontrol.com
vmstate.com
    	primary name server = ns43.domaincontrol.com
    	responsible mail addr = dns.jomax.net
    	serial  = 2014061800
    	refresh = 28800 (8 hours)
    	retry   = 7200 (2 hours)
    	expire  = 604800 (7 days)
    	default TTL = 600 (10 mins)
vmstate.com 	MX preference = 10, mail exchanger = smtp.secureserver.net
vmstate.com 	MX preference = 0, mail exchanger = mailstore1.secureserver.net

Interpreting the Output:

A Record:

  • vmstate.com internet address = 54.198.45.102
This record maps the domain to its IPv4 address, allowing browsers to locate the web server hosting the site.

NS Records:

  • vmstate.com nameserver = ns43.domaincontrol.com
  • vmstate.com nameserver = ns44.domaincontrol.com
These records indicate the authoritative name servers responsible for the domain.

SOA (Start of Authority) Record:

Provides administrative information about the domain, including:
  • Primary Name Server: ns43.domaincontrol.com
  • Responsible Mail Address: dns.jomax.net
  • Serial Number: 2014061800
  • Refresh Interval: 28800 seconds (8 hours)
  • Retry Interval: 7200 seconds (2 hours)
  • Expire Time: 604800 seconds (7 days)
  • Default TTL: 600 seconds (10 minutes)

Note: In a DNS Start of Authority (SOA) record, the "Responsible Mail Address" field specifies the email address of the domain administrator responsible for managing the domain's DNS settings. This address is formatted by replacing the first period (.) in the field with an @ symbol. For example, dns.jomax.net translates to the email address dns@jomax.net. This convention allows the SOA record to include an email address without using the @ symbol, which has special significance in DNS syntax.

MX (Mail Exchange) Records:

Define the mail servers responsible for receiving email on behalf of the domain, along with their priority levels:
  • vmstate.com MX preference = 0, mail exchanger = mailstore1.secureserver.net
  • vmstate.com MX preference = 10, mail exchanger = smtp.secureserver.net

Post a comment

POST COMMENT