DNS Usage

Is there a timeout set for finding something with DNS? I have 4 diff dns servers listed in my settings, yet I find myself day in and day out re-ordering them to get to different sites. Shouldn't it just go down the list? Is there a timeout setting in the regestry or something? Or is windows just dumb and only use the top DNS?

Sounds to me like you have really unreliable dns servers. Firstly, since DNS is a heirarchical database, the server you ask for resolution should have what is called a forwarder which it should ask if the answer is not readily available in it's cache. If it does not have a forwarder then it should be allowed to recurse, (make a query to the root hint servers), and work out the answer from there.

If you are using win2k/xp your machine will contain it's own DNS cache, (at a dos prompt type ipconfig /displaydns, to clear the cache type ipconfig /flushdns). Since you have to change servers to resolve different addresses I would suggest that the resolution is not taking place in the first place because the server is down. Some of the more recent sites will resolve from your local cache but the others will fail from there and ask a server that is down for the answer. When you change primary server to one that is up.....bingo..... it resolves it.

I would look for some more reliable servers if I were you.

Hi There;

There is a "Freeware" program called Bind-PE
http://ntcanuck.com

:D If you are Brave!!! (This is what I use!)
http://ntcanuck.com/Beta/

It will work as a DNS on a local computer
or on a server..... I have set up both
You will not have to depend on your ISP's DNS
and it will resolve the other half of the net
like http://free.tibet

:p I hope this helps

If the sites you are looking for are visited on a regular basis, add the entry into the hosts file. This is automatically loaded into cache on system start up and each time the Hosts file is updated.


For the record, the first timeout is set at 1 second, if no response is recd, then resolver queries preferred server and waits 2 seconds, no response, resolver then queries ALL Name Servers and waits another 2 seconds, still no response, queries all Name Servers and waits 4 seconds, still no response, queries all Name Servers and waits 8 seconds. No response, resolver responds with time out message, any queries destined for name servers will automatically generate time out for the next 30 seconds. The resolver also keeps track of which server responded to quickest and moves them up and down the list.

**TIP**
To prevent the resolver from accepting responses from non-queried servers
goto

HKLM\SYSTEM\CCS\Services\DnsCache\Parameters

add

QueryIPMatching (Reg_DWORD) with a value of 1

**End Tip**