Tag: DNS

What is the NSlookup command for?

No Comments Network , , , , , , , , , ,

The NSlookup command, short for “name server lookup,” is a versatile tool that any network administrator or curious user should have in their toolkit. This command-line utility is used to query Domain Name System (DNS) servers to find the IP address associated with a domain name or vice versa, making it an essential tool for troubleshooting DNS problems and for ensuring that the DNS records are correctly set up and propagated. Let’s dive deeper into what the NSlookup command is, how it works, and how you can use it effectively.

What is DNS?

Before we delve into the specifics of the NSlookup command, it’s crucial to understand the basics of the Domain Name System (DNS). DNS is essentially the phonebook of the internet, translating human-friendly domain names (like www.example.com) into machine-readable IP addresses (like 192.0.2.1), which are required to locate and identify computer services and devices on the internet. Without DNS, we would have to memorize IP addresses to access websites, which is not practical.

Read More

Why is DNS cache poisoning dangerous?

No Comments DNS , , , , , , ,

DNS cache poisoning: Explanation

DNS cache poisoning, also known as DNS spoofing, is an attack that occurs when malicious or false data is inserted into a DNS cache server. This data corrupts the data stored in the server, causing it to respond to requests for a domain name with the wrong IP address. In other words, valid DNS requests that are received by a corrupted server will be answered with incorrect information, such as sending a user to the wrong website or to a malicious one. DNS spoofing is dangerous because it can manipulate information on the Internet allowing criminals to commit cybercrimes. It can also be used to redirect web traffic to sites that contain malicious software, leading to data breaches and other security threats.

Read More

What does Reverse DNS mean?

No Comments DNS DNS records Network , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Reverse DNS is an absolutely beneficial instrument for every business. It will convert the IP address into the domain name. But what makes you think you’d want that? Let’s take a closer look at Reverse DNS to comprehend it better.

PTR record – definition

The PTR is a DNS record type that we use for Reverse DNS to connect IP addresses (both IPv4 and IPv6) to the domain name. For example, when receiving mail servers want to know where an email came from, they execute a rDNS lookup and seek for PTR records. The PTR records will ensure that the IP address is actually associated with the domain name.

The purpose of Reverse DNS

Reverse DNS, also known as rDNS, is a querying technique used by DNS (Domain Name System) to do a particular sort of query with an IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) as an input and a name record as an output (A record or AAAA record). It’s termed reverse because it works in the same way as a forward DNS lookup, which connects an IP address to a domain name.

If you wish to check a specific host, you can use rDNS. Each host connected to a network has an IP address as an identification. You can readily see the IP address, but you can also execute a reverse DNS lookup to view the domain name and decide whether or not to trust it.

Check out the different Reverse DNS service plan possibilities.

Read More

Premium DNS service overview

No Comments DNS DNS records , , , , , , , , , ,

Explanation of Premium DNS service

By using a Premium DNS service, you might get more of everything. There are more DNS servers and zones available. Additionally, you have more control over how traffic is moving. Once you start using it, you’ll notice a difference in loading speed. Further, it will lead to increased uptime, security, and SEO.

If your business cannot afford downtime, you should investigate the Premium DNS service. Any website bigger than a small personal blog could profit from implementing a DNS service like this.

If visitor numbers keep rising, you should give this service some real thought.

Read More

Heartbeat monitoring: Why is it important?

No Comments Monitoring , , , , , , , ,

Heartbeat monitoring: Meaning

When you create a service and expose a set of endpoints to provide API access to that service, you’ll almost certainly need to track their availability and response times, in addition to ensuring their functionality. Heartbeat Monitoring can assist you in regularly monitoring your services day in and day out so that you can genuinely know when “something is down” or just “not performing”. It is a tried-and-true mechanism of tracking a device’s or software system’s health by giving regular heartbeat events to a remote monitoring service.

Monitor to see if your scripts, agents, workers, and daemons are operating continuously and according to plan. For each heartbeat monitor, you will receive a different ping URL. In addition, you may check whether your task can communicate with your server by sending a straightforward HTTP request to the URL’s “display name” endpoint.

How does Heartbeat monitoring work?

What is a Monitoring service?

You may get detailed information on the condition of your servers—used for things like web, email, DNS, and many more services—by using the Monitoring service.

Read More

DNS zone: 4 Types You Should Know

No Comments DNS DNS records , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today we will talk about the DNS zone. First, we will explore its purpose and then its different types. Finally, we will explain how you can locate your DNS zone. Let’s start!

DNS zone description

A DNS (Domain Name System) zone is a database containing Resource Records from a single DNS Namespace. Another way to say it, these zones are designed to make administration simple and redundant while also assisting in improving availability and performance. Additionally, you could see the DNS zone as a horizontal platform that connects all of a corporation’s subdomains.

As an illustration, if we have the domain name picusha.net and a zone called picusha.net inside of a DNS server, we may construct Resource Records for all of the TCP/IP devices inside the zone. This DNS server has been given permission to handle all DNS requests for picusha.net domains, including www.picusha.net, info.picusha.net, etc.

Read More

How does DNSSEC add an additional level of security?

No Comments DNS Network Security , , , , , , , , , ,

DNSSEC is the most effective technique to secure your Domain Name System. We’ll explain why, what the phrase implies, and how you can benefit from it in this article. So, let’s keep it going.

The explanation of DNSSEC

DNSSEC is a collection of Security Extensions for the DNS that adds authentication and data integrity.

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) invented it in the 1990s. Its primary goal is to provide an authentication method that uses digital signatures and public cryptography to prove the data’s origin. The data owner can use its private key to sign DNS data (DNS records) and ensure that the information is secure. Each recursive server can validate the data’s origin by comparing it to the public key.

It’s a complete chain of trust, beginning with the root server and ending with the exact hostname. Except for the root zone, which has nothing on top of it, each zone is signed by the one above it.

If the recursive server cannot authenticate the data for some reason, it will discard it and try again. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

How does DNSSEC work?

Read More

Monitoring service explained for beginners

No Comments Network Security , , , , , ,

The topic of our discussion today is the Monitoring service. If you wonder what its main purpose is, why it is so beneficial for you and your business, and where you can find you, you are in the right place. So, let’s not waste any more time in idle talk, and let’s explore it! 

Monitoring service – Definition

Monitoring service is critical for delivering dependable service and a positive user experience. It also helps to identify problems with your services such as web, DNS, email, and so on. In addition, it provides precise information about the state of your servers and assists you in quickly identifying and resolving various issues.

You also have the option to monitor and notice the status of your servers in real-time. Any issues, such as a component failure or extremely slow traffic, will be straightforward to recognize and respond to.

Automatic notifications are also provided through the Monitoring service. As a result, if a problem arises, you will be notified via email, SMS, or other methods.

Find out what options are available for Monitoring service plans.

Read More

Interesting DNS Terms & Definitions

No Comments DNS , , , , , , , ,

Here are some interesting DNS terms you may not know yet. They are helpful both for beginner DNS administrators and more advanced ones. 

Dynamic DNS

Dynamic DNS automatically updates your IP address every time it is replaced. The Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are commonly changing it since it is easier for them to manage their large networks. For that reason, it is really useful to implement Dynamic DNS, for example, for your CCTV cameras for surveillance.

Anycast DNS

If you want to boost the DNS resolution process of your domain, you should consider Anycast DNS. It is a routing mechanism that works by placing one IP address into several name servers that are positioned in different points of the world. That way, the DNS request (DNS query) takes the shortest path, and the closest server provides the needed data.

DNSSEC

DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) brings extra protection to your DNS (Domain Name System). It applies cryptographic authentication for the DNS data (DNS records) that goes around the Internet. Besides, Domain Name System Security Extensions provide insurance for the origin of the DNS data and its integrity. 

Read More