In this article, we will use few different tools that will help you troubleshoot and monitor your DNS and network.
DNS trace (dig + trace)
Using DNS trace, you can troubleshoot your DNS. You can use it on Linux OS, Mac OS and even on Windows (using Cygwin). You will trace the road of a DNS query. If there is a problem, you will see exactly where it is.
$ dig +trace www.cloudns.net
(you can write your website)
First, you request a webpage, for example, www.cloudns.net.
The query gets to the root name server for it.
This name server will show you the TLD authoritative server.
Your recursive resolver queries the .com TLD authoritative server for www.cloudns.net.
The .com TLD authoritative server refers your recursive server to the authoritative servers for cloudns.net.
Your recursive resolver queries the authoritative servers for www.cloudns.net and receives the IP as the answer.
Your recursive resolver caches the answer for the duration of the time-to-live (TTL) specified on the record and returns it to you.
This is how domain resolution works. You can get valuable information about the speed and accuracy of the answer.
Online Ping
Online Ping is a DNS tool that administrator use for checking the connectivity and the speed. Using this command, you send a small data packet to a particular IP address. Then wait to get a feedback packet. You can also use it to ping a name resolution. If you get an answer when you do a ping to an IP but not when you do it to a name, then the two don’t match.
Traceroute
Tracing the route is similar to the ping. Using this DNS tool, you send a packet of data to an internet host, and it gives you back a result for every hop your query makes in seconds. If your website has a slow response, using this tool you can see where exactly it is the problem.
DNS lookup (nslookup)
You can use this tool on different Operating systems for making DNS queries to get to an IP address or for specific DNS record. You can use it to see if you have any problems with any kind of DNS record that you are using.
Read more for the nslookup command in our article:
10 most used nslookup commands
Reverse DNS lookup
It does what is say, here you start with an IP address and you can find the domain name. This process uses PTR records that shows exactly that. You can use it for troubleshooting.
Read more for the Reverse DNS and PTR records in our article: rDNS explained in detail
Conclusion:
Using these DNS tools, you can monitor and control your DNS. You can use them on different operating systems. You can easily see if something is not right and correct it.
Hi, I’m Martin Pramatarov. I have two degrees, a Technician of Computer Networks and an MBA (Master of Business Administration). My passion is storytelling, but I can’t hide my nerdish side too. I never forgot my interest in the Hi-tech world. I have 10 years and thousands of articles written about DNS, cloud services, hosting, domain names, cryptocurrencies, hardware, software, AI, and everything in between. I have seen the Digital revolution, the Big migration to the cloud, and I am eager to write about all the exciting new tech trends in the following years. AI and Big Data are here already, and they will completely change the world!
I hope you enjoy my articles and the excellent services of ClouDNS!
Thanks for the wonderful post information very useful share.
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