Using NSLOOKUP command to get IP and DNS Information

Name Server Lookup or nslookup displays DNS information to test and troubleshoot DNS servers including IP address of a particular machine running in TCP/IP protocol.

Non-Interactive mode

C:\Windows\system32>nslookup /? Usage:    nslookup [-opt ...]         # interactive mode using default server    nslookup [-opt ...] - server   # interactive mode using 'server'    nslookup [-opt ...] host       # look up 'host' using default server    nslookup [-opt ...] host server # look up 'host' using 'server'

common usage: nslookup [-option] [hostname] [server]

This is being use if you want for a single piece of information e.g. performing a reverse lookup on an IP address.

C:\Windows\system32>nslookup 72.14.203.121 Default Server:  sn3.dli.bit.net Address:  201.4.2.9 Name:    tx-in-f121.1e100.net Address:  72.14.203.121 C:\Windows\system32>nslookup unlockforus.blogspot.com Default Server:  sn3.dli.bit.net Address:  201.4.2.9 Non-authoritative answer: Name:    blogspot.l.google.com Address:  64.233.189.191 Aliases:  unlockforus.blogspot.com C:\Windows\system32>nslookup you.wikidot.com Default Server:  sn3.dli.bit.net Address:  201.4.2.9 Non-authoritative answer: Name:    www1.s.wikidot.com Address:  74.86.234.149 Aliases:  you.wikidot.com

USING THE COMMAND TO TEST AND TROUBLSHOOT DNS SERVERS

Note: Before using this tool in interactive mode, you should be familiar with how DNS works.

Interactive mode

Simply type “nsloolup” and “?” to display all the available commands.

C:\Windows\system32>nslookup Default Server:  sn3.dli.bit.net Address:  201.4.2.9 > ? Commands:   (identifiers are shown in uppercase, [] means optional) NAME            - print info about the host/domain NAME using default server NAME1 NAME2     - as above, but use NAME2 as server help or ?       - print info on common commands set OPTION      - set an option     all                 - print options, current server and host     [no]debug           - print debugging information     [no]d2              - print exhaustive debugging information     [no]defname         - append domain name to each query     [no]recurse         - ask for recursive answer to query     [no]search          - use domain search list     [no]vc              - always use a virtual circuit     domain=NAME         - set default domain name to NAME     srchlist=N1[/N2/.../N6] - set domain to N1 and search list to N1,N2, etc.     root=NAME           - set root server to NAME     retry=X             - set number of retries to X     timeout=X           - set initial time-out interval to X seconds     type=X              - set query type (ex. A, AAAA, A+AAAA, ANY, CNAME, MX, NS, PTR, SOA, SRV)     querytype=X         - same as type     class=X             - set query class (ex. IN (Internet), ANY)     [no]msxfr           - use MS fast zone transfer     ixfrver=X      - current version to use in IXFR transfer request server NAME     - set default server to NAME,                       using current default server lserver NAME    - set default server to NAME, using initial server finger [USER]   - finger the optional NAME at the current default host root            - set current default server to the root ls [opt] DOMAIN [> FILE] - list addresses in DOMAIN (optional: output to FILE)     -a          -  list canonical names and aliases     -d          -  list all records     -t TYPE     -  list records of the given RFC record type (ex. A,CNAME,MX,NS, PTR etc.) view FILE           - sort an 'ls' output file and view it with pg exit            - exit the program

You can read for more information about the tool: HERE

Error Messages from Microsoft Windows XP Article

Descriptions

Timed out
The server did not respond to a request after a certain amount of time and retries. You can set the time-out period with the set timeout subcommand retries with the set retry sub command.

No response from server
No DNS name server is running on the server computer.

No records
The DNS name server doesn’t have resource records of the current query type for the computer, although the computer name is valid. The query type is specified with the set querytype command.

Nonexistent domain
The DNS domain name doesn’t exist.

Connection refused or Network is unreachable
The connection to the DNSname server or fingerserver could not be made. This error commonly occurs with ls and finger requests.

Server failure
The DNS nameserver found an internal inconsistency in its database and could not return a valid answer.

Refused
The DNS server refused to service the request.

Format error
The DNSname server found that the request packet was not in the proper format. It may indicate anerror in nslookup.

Source

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