Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Set up a simple forwarding-only DNS server
#1

I have absolutely no experience with DNS servers. I understand the principles behind DNS, but the perceived 'scariness' of configuring bind and different zones and such is quite a big issue.

 

I did want to do some experimentation with DNS servers, though, and I've found a very useful and simple tutorial to set up a simple 'forwarding only' server.

 

The tutorial is designed for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (and written by Red Hat), so it worked exactly as in the tutorial when I followed it on my CentOS 5.3 system.

 

Read the tutorial

Reply
#2

I use the first Red Hat guide, have used local DNS cache for a while now, or at least since my ISP had major DNS issues and I found out my google serach wasn't loading 8 out of 10 times due to OpenDNS redirects (grrr...).

 

Good post hybrid.

 

PS:

 

I think the Firefox Fasterfox plugin does some DNS caching.

Reply
#3

I run an authoritative DNS server on my LAN so I can manage a few zones of authority. My networks use the ".org.test" suffix, so are (a) never found anywhere else, and ( B) don't get confused with "real" domains.

 

My DNS server is set up to answer queries for my test network, but forward on the request upstream (to the root servers or my ISP's DNS servers) if the domain isn't found, so I've got the best of both worlds.

 

Setting up DNS isn't difficult, actually. Essentially it's 1 control file (bind.conf, named.conf or so), two zone files (forward and reverse) for each zone, plus a loopback and root-hints file on top.

 

I started with one domain (1 control + loopback + root + forward + reverse) then added two more domains (2 forwards, 2 reverse) then took it from there. I used the guide on TLDP.ORG originally before learning a bit more about it, and now run four nameservers for around 30 domains.

Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)