In today’s connected world, having remote access to personal or business networks is a necessity. Whether you’re hosting a website, managing a home automation system, or accessing files remotely, having a stable, accessible IP address is critical. This is where Dynamic DNS (DDNS) comes into play. It allows devices with frequently changing IP addresses to be easily accessible through a consistent domain name. In this blog post, we’ll dive deep into DDNS, its functionality, and its benefits, helping you understand why it could be a valuable tool for your network management needs.
Category Archives: DNS
Zone transfer: What is it and how does it work?
Today we will talk about zone transfer. First, we will explain its purpose and how it functions. Then we will explore what a zone file is, and for the final note, we will see the zone transfer vulnerability’s effects. So, let’s start.
Zone transfer: Definition
Duplicating DNS records from the Master DNS zone to the Backup DNS zone is the procedure known as zone transfer. This gives you the option to duplicate your DNS records on various alternative name servers. You will have higher availability as a result of finishing the transfer if one of the name servers fails. Additionally, faster DNS resolution will be advantageous if you run a worldwide website with users from all over the world and numerous presence locations (PoPs).
DNS zone file: Explained for beginners
In extremely short, the DNS zone file is the DNS information that includes all your DNS records about your domain that you keep on your Primary authoritative name server and you copy on your Secondary name servers. If you want to know more about the DNS zone file, go on and read the rest of this article.
DNS zone file definition
All the information (all the DNS records, a.k.a resource records) for a DNS zone are saved on a file called DNS zone file.
It is a text file that is hosted inside the Primary authoritative name server. Inside it, you have all the resource records’ text listed in a sequence (line-orientated entries).
Inside the file, there are some control entries that are called directives, and they are presented by a dollar sign and its name. Examples of directives are:
- $ORIGIN – shows the domain name that is used as the origin for further subsets of domain names.
- $INCLUDE – Shows which files to include too. It can add other origin domain names.
- $TTL – a default TTL value for the file itself.
- $GENERATE – non-standard extension to insert multiple resource records with a single entry.
If you need more detailed info, check this article about DNS zone file!
How does DNSSEC work?
If you are browsing for what DNSSEC is and how it works, you came to the right place. In this article, we will focus on its primary purpose and its benefits. So, let’s explain it.
What does DNSSEC mean?
DNSSEC is a collection of protocols and specifications for securing the Domain Name System and its associated activities. From lookups to data transmission, it’s all here.
Authenticated denial of existence, cryptographic authentication of DNS information, and information integrity are all provided by these enhancements to DNS resolvers.
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) invented it. Because the Domain Name System was not designed with security in mind from the start. Different vulnerabilities were discovered early on in its utilization. After that, DNSSEC was created. The creators picked the extension format for this system to make it easier to integrate with the existing DNS infrastructure.
Anycast DNS – Complete breakdown
What is Anycast DNS?
Anycast DNS is a form of communication or routing technology that allows you to send and receive data quickly. One IP address can be entered into several DNS servers around the world using this method. Any of them has the ability to react to the request. The goal is for the server that is nearest to the user in terms of distance to respond. This significantly speeds up the response time.
Popular ways for using Dynamic DNS
What does Dynamic DNS mean?
Dynamic DNS, also commonly called Dyn DNS or DDNS, is a great technology that helps with auto-updating the name servers. Every time when the IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) changes for some reason, that beneficial service is going to refresh the DNS records – A record and AAAA record.
Dig command – the best tool for testing your DNS
Dig command – What is it?
Domain information groper is the full name of the Dig command that is a simple built-in command used for various DNS probing. One of the main advantages it has it’s that you can use it on most Linux distros and any macOS computer. The Dig command allows you to perform quick checks of your DNS in a very simple way. For instance, you can view a specific DNS record or check a name server. You just have to open the Terminal app on your device. It has a command-line interface (CLI), which shows you all of the needed data in its output.
TTL: How does it work?
What is TTL?
Time-to-live, or for short just TTL, is a value that limits the amount of time or the number of hops that a data packet is set up for being alive. That could be on a network or in the cache memory. Once that time expires, either the number of hops reaches their limit, the data packets won’t be available anymore.
Most commonly used DNS record types [Full List]
There are many DNS record types. Of course, some of them are not applied so frequently. But, on the other hand, several DNS record types are essential for almost every DNS zone. So, let’s check out which they are and what their purpose is!
Additional DNS record types every beginner should know
SOA record
Premium DNS – An advantage for Professionals and Beginners.
Then, time for a vital decision comes. To get a free DNS service, pay for a Premium DNS, or build it on your own. Consider that the DNS service you pick will be responsible for the requests to your domain. Moreover, this DNS service has a critical impact on gold factors like security, uptime, speed, and the experience your domain will offer to its visitors.
Everybody needs a DNS service to be available online. At this point, it’s not about the size or the type of business. From a personal blog, a portfolio, to an international e-shop, or a bank, all must exist on the Internet.
Let’s check why Premium DNS is an advantage for professionals and beginners.