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DNS?

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9 replies

by b_russ

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I thought that if you have more than one DNS setup in your DNS settings of TCP/IP, that when you browsed with your web browser it would use the first DNS entry in the list if it didn't find a resolve it would use the second one in the list and so on.
Apparently that is not the case because I just setup a local WIN2000 DNS server that points to a web page on my LAN. The only way I can get to my web page using a name is by having the IP of my local DNS first if I have the ISP's DNS first I can't browse my local web page. and visa versa if I have my DNS server's IP first I can browse my page but not anything on the internet.
A friend of mine said that Internet explorer is timing out before the second DNS server is polled. I don't know if that is the case or not. I would just like an explination or even better a fix for the issue.
Any input on this matter would be helpful.

9 replies

by tedstidham

I think that the second DNS server is only available in the event that the first is down. If the first server unsuccessfuly services the request, the second will not be accessed. Make sure that the entries are correct on the first DNS server....

by aekland

THe first answer maybe correct, I don't remeber either. When the request goes to the first dns and it doesn't know it will send the query up the line to a higher level DNS server. Try setting the local dns server as first and set the isp dns on the local DNS server. When you request something from the web, your local DNS server will send the request to the ISP DNS to resolve it. This may also decrease your web resolution as the local dns server will cache the web information locally.

by c.edwards

I was under the impression that the first DNS server was supposed to be the Primary Server and the second a Backup Server, i.e. if the first server is up it doesn't try the second. However this is just an impression, I could not vouch for it.

Inorder to solve the problem you could have your LAN based DNS server forward unresolved queries to your ISP, this is on the forwarders tab on the properties dialog for the W2K DNS server. Then you would only need the LAN DNS server in your TCP/IP properties. You can only use forwarders if your DNS server is not configured as a root domain server.

by tobi

the first answer in fact is correct. the second DNS server will only be queried if the first DNS server is not responding to requests. If the first one can no resolve your domain does not qualify as the DNS service on this server being down. You can use your internal DNS server in the first slot and enable recursion on the DNS server so it resolves all internet domains. This of course only works if you internal DNS server is able to access the internet. (through firewall ......etc)

--Tobias

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