DNS Check Ride

[Thom]

I just setup a Linux Power Server+Cpanel and would just like to make sure I setup the DNS correctly.

I decided to go the SB DNS 4 route using my server as the primary and SB as the secondary.

My main hostname is box1.myserver.com.

I setup my server with these nameservers:
Primary: ns1.myserver.com
Secondary: ns1.geodns.net
Third: ns2.geodns.net

I then created a DNS zone for myserver.com
In that record I made sure that NS fields for ns1.myserver.com, ns1.geodns.net, and ns2.geodns.net were added.
I also added an A entry for ns1.myserver.com and box1.myserver.com

My confusion is, because I want to run my server as a nameserver as well as a site (and setup reseller accounts as well) can I setup just one DNS zone with these additional A entries (ns1.myserver.com and box1.myserver.com) or do I need to setup the ns1. and box1. (server hostname) each as their own DNS zones?

Then I setup with my Registrar pointing
myserver.com to these name servers:
Primary: ns1.myserver.com
Secondary: ns1.geodns.net
Third: ns2.geodns.net

Then I setup using the SB DNS tool a slave account for myserver.com pointing to my IP.

How can I make sure these NS's are communicating and updating. Should something update on the DNS tool page to confirm this?

one more thing, what IP's should I put in for the resolver fields?
Primary is currently 127.0.0.1
Secondary is blank
Teritary is blank

I really appreciate the help!

-t

[Thom]

When I create a new account in the host manager the domains pointing to my name server work fine as long as they're created as a root account.

Any domains created under the root as a re-seller account do not work. But, when I do a netlookup to domains all the nameserver info is correct.

examples:

works:
created as a root account
http://www.refreshiq.com

does not work:
created under a re-seller account
http://www.portaltheory.com

What am I doing wrong?

-t

[QT]

Hrm .. your DNS configuration is a little inconsistent. It looks like you are using ns1.pixelblaster.com as a nameserver, but the server hosting the pixelblaster.com domain does not have an A record for ns1.pixelblaster.com .. this could cause random DNS resolution errors. You need to add an A record for ns1 that points to the IP address of your nameserver in the pixelblaster.com zone.

The refreshiq.com domain is pointing to ns1.pixelblaster.com and ns1.geodns.net, but the NS records on ns1.pixelblaster.com only point to ns1.geodns.net and ns2.geodns.net .. you should have your own nameserver in the NS records. The portaltheory.com domain looks to be configured correctly. Both domains are resolving for me and come up in a browser, but the lack of an A record for ns1.pixelblaster.com can cause sporadic errors depending on which nameserver your local resolver tries to use.

Bottom line: you need to make sure all of your nameservers resolve properly (A records) and all of your nameservers should report the same NS records for the domain. :)

[Thom]

Thanks for the response QT!!

I just setup a new Linux Power server + cPanel. I chose to use pixelblaster.com as the root domain to start with.

My confusion is, because I want to run my server as a nameserver as well as a site (following the SB DNS 4 setup suggestion I setup my PowerServer as the primary nameserver and SB as the secondary NS - slave) (I also want to setup reseller accounts as well) do I setup just one DNS zone called pixelblaster.com and add these additional A entries (ns1.pixelblaster.com and box1.pixelblaster.com entries listed with in the pixelblaster.com DNS zone)

or do I need to setup the ns1.pixelblaster.com and box1.pixelblaster.com (the server hostname) each as separate DNS zones?

another thing --- once in a while when I log into the WHM a small window pops up saying "The server was unable to lookup an A entry for its hostname box1.pixelblaster.com."

thanks for the help!

-thom

[Thom]

FYI: Here's what I have in my DNS zone pixelblaster.com (This is the zone I have for pixelblaster.com):

----------DNS Zone: --------------------------
pixelblaster.com -> SOA --> ns1.pixelblaster.com.


pixelblaster.com -> NS --> ns1.pixelblaster.com.
pixelblaster.com -> NS --> ns1.geodns.net.
pixelblaster.com -> NS --> ns2.geodns.net.

pixelblaster.com -> A --> 69.44.58.71.
localhost.pixelblaster.com -> A --> 127.0.0.1
pixelblaster.com -> MX --> 0 -- pixelblaster.com.
mail --> CNAME --> pixelblaster.com.
www --> CNAME --> pixelblaster.com.
ftp --> A --> 69.44.58.71.
ns1.pixelblaster.com --> A --> 69.44.58.71.
box1.pixelblaster.com --> A --> 69.44.58.71.
----------------------------

So I'm not really sure if the SOA should be the IP address or can it be ns1.pixelblaster.com? and if I should break off the ns1.pixelblaster.com and box1.pixelblaster.com into their own DNS zones?

thanks,

-t

[QT]

Your nameserver seems to be confused .. it is not returning any information about ns1 or box1. A zone transfer shows the problem though:

box1.pixelblaster.com.pixelblaster.com. 14400 IN A 69.44.58.71
ns1.pixelblaster.com.pixelblaster.com. 14400 IN A 69.44.58.71

It looks like you forgot to put a period somewhere. If you add "ns1.pixelblaster.com" to the "pixelblaster.com" zone without a "." on the end of it, named/bind will append pixelblaster.com to the end of it. Your A records should look exactly like this (maybe minus the 14400):

ns1.pixelblaster.com. 14400 IN A 69.44.58.71
....................^
box1.pixelblaster.com. 14400 IN A 69.44.58.71
.....................^

Watch those periods. :)

[Thom]

ok, yeah ns1.pixelblaster.com and box1.pixelblaster.com did not have "." at the end in the domain field. oops :p

I just updated it

so, technically I don't really have to create a seperate zone for each ns1. and box1. yes?

thanks again QT!!

-thom

[QT]

Originally posted by Thom
ok, yeah ns1.pixelblaster.com and box1.pixelblaster.com did not have "." at the end in the domain field. oops :p

I just updated it

so, technically I don't really have to create a seperate zone for each ns1. and box1. yes?

thanks again QT!!

-thom

Correct, you do not have to create a seperate zone. :)

[Thom]

Thank you so much QT!!!

I really appreciate all the help!!

-t