Check DNS Server in Linux

Hello Dev, in this article, we’ll explore how to check your Domain Name System (DNS) server in Linux. DNS is a crucial component of your network infrastructure that translates domain names into IP addresses. As an administrator or user, it’s essential to know how to check and troubleshoot DNS-related issues in Linux.

Understanding DNS in Linux

DNS is a hierarchical naming system that maps human-readable domain names to IP addresses that computers can understand. In Linux, the DNS resolver is an essential component of the network stack that queries DNS servers to resolve domain names. There are several ways to check your DNS server in Linux. Let’s explore each one of them.

Method 1: Using nslookup

Nslookup is a command-line tool used to query DNS servers and obtain domain name resolution. In Linux, nslookup is installed by default. To check your DNS server using nslookup, follow these steps:

You can also specify a different DNS server using the “server” command.

Method 2: Using dig

Dig is a command-line tool used to query DNS servers and obtain domain name resolution. It’s more advanced than nslookup and provides more detailed information. To check your DNS server using dig, follow these steps:

You can also specify a different DNS server using the “@server” option.

FAQ

What if I don’t have nslookup or dig installed?

If nslookup or dig are not installed on your Linux system, you can install them using your package manager. For example, you can install nslookup using the following command:

sudo apt-get install dnsutils

What if my DNS server is not responding?

If your DNS server is not responding, you can try the following troubleshooting steps:

• Check your network connection.
• Check your DNS server configuration.
• Restart your DNS server.
• Try a different DNS server.

What if I want to check my DNS server from a remote machine?

If you want to check your DNS server from a remote machine, you can use nslookup or dig with the “-ns” option to specify the DNS server’s IP address. For example:

nslookup example.com -ns 192.168.1.1

What if I want to check my DNS server’s cache?

If you want to check your DNS server’s cache, you can use the “rndc dumpdb” command to dump the cache to a file. For example:

sudo rndc dumpdb -cache

This will create a file called “named_dump.db” in the default dump directory. You can then view the contents of the file using a text editor.

Conclusion

In conclusion, checking your DNS server in Linux is a crucial task for any administrator or user. Using nslookup or dig is an effective way to obtain DNS-related information and troubleshoot issues. If you encounter any DNS-related problems, try the troubleshooting steps we’ve outlined in this article. Always remember to keep your DNS server up-to-date and secure to ensure your network’s reliability and security.