DNS Servers - Win32 apps (2024)

A DNS Server is a computer that completes the process of name resolution in DNS. DNS Servers contain zone files that enable them to resolve names to IP addresses and IP addresses to names. When queried, a DNS Server will respond in one of three ways:

  • The server returns the requested name-resolution or IP-resolution data.
  • The server returns a pointer to another DNS Server that can service the request.
  • The server indicates that it does not have the requested data.

DNS Servers might, during the course of preparing to return the requested resolution data, query other DNS Servers, but beyond that, DNS Servers do not perform any other operations.

There are three main kinds of DNS Servers — primary servers, secondary servers, and caching servers.

Primary Server

The primary server is the authoritative server for the zone. All administrative tasks associated with the zone (such as creating subdomains within the zone, or other similar administrative tasks) must be performed on the primary server. In addition, any changes associated with the zone or any modifications or additions to RRs in the zone files must be made on the primary server. For any given zone, there is one primary server, except when you integrate Active Directory services and Microsoft DNS Server.

Secondary Servers

Secondary servers are backup DNS Servers. Secondary servers receive all of their zone files from the primary server zone files in a zone transfer. Multiple secondary servers can exist for any given zone — as many as necessary to provide load balancing, fault tolerance, and traffic reduction. Additionally, any given DNS Server can be a secondary server for multiple zones.

In addition to primary and secondary DNS Servers, additional DNS Server roles can be used when such servers are appropriate for a DNS infrastructure. These additional servers are caching servers and forwarders.

Caching Servers

Caching servers, also known as caching-only servers, perform as their name suggests; they provide only cached-query service for DNS responses. Rather than maintaining zone files like other secondary servers do, caching DNS Servers perform queries, cache the answers, and return the results to the querying client. The primary difference between caching servers and other secondary servers is that other secondary servers maintain zone files (and do zone transfers when appropriate, thereby generating network traffic associated with the transfer), caching servers do not.

DNS Servers - Win32 apps (2024)

FAQs

How do I check DNS server responses? ›

Type “ping” followed by the domain name or IP address of the server you want to test. Press Enter, and you'll see data that includes the time in milliseconds it takes for the server to respond. This gives you an idea of how quickly data can travel to and from that server.

Can a DNS response have multiple answers? ›

Note that a response for a single question may contain multiple answers, such as if an address has multiple IP addresses, or if an address has a CNAME and an A record. Your client must process the entire answer section and report on each one of these records.

How to solve DNS server isn't responding? ›

  1. Try Using A Different Browser. Strictly speaking, switching to another browser won't fix DNS issues. ...
  2. Check The Site From A Different Device. ...
  3. Restart Your Computer. ...
  4. Restart Your Computer In Safe Mode. ...
  5. Turn Off Antivirus Software And/Or Your Firewall. ...
  6. Turn Off Your VPN. ...
  7. Flush DNS Cache. ...
  8. Restart Your Router.
Dec 15, 2023

How do I know which DNS server is resolving? ›

Check DNS settings
  1. For Linux, use the resolvectl status command to display the configured name resolution servers. ...
  2. For macOS, type scutil --dns to display the configured name resolution servers. ...
  3. For Windows, type ipconfig /all to display the configured name resolution servers.
Aug 2, 2022

What are DNS responses? ›

DNS message is relatively simple: the browser queries a domain name and gets an IP address. If a DNS server doesn't recognize the domain name, it will pass the query along to the following DNS server. Later, when receiving a response, it carries the response to the browser.

How do you detect DNS hijacking? ›

Common signs of DNS hijacking include web pages that load slowly, frequent pop-up advertisem*nts on websites where there should not be any, and pop-ups informing you that your machine is infected with malware. You can also identify DNS hijacking by pinging a network, checking your router, or checking WhoIsMyDNS.

What is the limit of DNS response? ›

In the absence of EDNS0 (Extension Mechanisms for DNS 0), the normal behavior of any DNS server needing to send a UDP response that would exceed the 512-byte limit is for the server to truncate the response so that it fits within that limit and then set the TC flag in the response header.

Is it OK to have multiple DNS servers? ›

Although each zone is limited to one primary DNS server, it can have any number of secondary DNS servers. Maintaining one or more secondary servers ensures that queries can be resolved even if the primary server becomes unresponsive.

What is the difference between DNS query and response? ›

A DNS query is a message that a client sends to the DNS server. It contains a list of questions that the DNS server answers. A DNS query can contain multiple questions that the server will reply to, but a server might also reply with its own additional information.

How do I flush my DNS cache? ›

Flushing your DNS cache on iPhone or Android
  1. Option 1 — Toggle Airplane mode. The easiest solution to clear your DNS cache is to toggle Airplane mode on and off. ...
  2. Option 2 — Reboot your device. Rebooting your iPhone should also clear out your DNS.
  3. Option 3 — Reset Network Settings.
Feb 27, 2024

How to flush DNS in cmd? ›

Type 'ipconfig /flushdns' in the Command Prompt, and press Enter. 3. The user has now flushed the DNS Cache and will receive a message that they have successfully done so. 4.

How can I reset my DNS server? ›

To reset your DNS in Windows:
  1. Using the Start Menu at the lower left corner of your screen: ...
  2. Enter CMD into the text box and then select the Command Prompt program.
  3. A new black window will appear. ...
  4. Type ipconfig /flushdns and press ENTER (please note: there is a space between ipconfig and /flushdns)
  5. Restart your computer.

Why is my DNS server not responding for one website? ›

What Does “DNS Server Not Responding“ Mean? The “DNS server not responding” error message means that the DNS of the domain you want to reach is unavailable or your browser cannot connect to the internet. Possible fixes include restarting your router or modem, checking for network issues, and updating your browser.

How do I know if my DNS is flushed? ›

However, the message at the end varies and may require admin intervention.
  1. Click the Start button. ...
  2. Click All Programs > Accessories.
  3. Select Command Prompt.
  4. In the command prompt window, type ipconfig /flushdns.
  5. Press Enter.
  6. You should see a message confirming that the DNS Resolver Cache was successfully flushed.
Apr 3, 2024

How do you flush DNS on Windows? ›

Windows
  • On the taskbar search, type "Command Prompt."
  • Right click on Command Prompt and press "run as administrator."
  • When asked whether to allow Command Prompt to make changes to your computer, select Yes.
  • Open Command Prompt.
  • Type the command ipconfig /flushdns then press enter.

How do I check my DNS records? ›

Checking DNS records using the command line

The most efficient way to check DNS records of the domain is to use a terminal with the command nslookup. This command will run on almost all operating systems (Windows, Linux, and macOS).

How do I find DNS responses in Wireshark? ›

To capture DNS traffic:
  1. Start a Wireshark capture.
  2. Open a command prompt.
  3. Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter to clear the DNS cache.
  4. Type ipconfig /displaydns and press Enter to display the DNS cache.
  5. Observe the results. ...
  6. Type nslookup en.wikiversity.org and press Enter.
  7. Observe the results.
Nov 19, 2023

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