Essential DNS Tools for Troubleshooting Domain Issues (DNS)

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We’ve all been there, that dreaded DNS switch can turn things from O.K. to disaster in a matter of seconds.

Through-out my time learning and my experience with DNS, I’ve curated a list of essential tools for trouble shooting common domain issues.

Domain Propagation Check via Dig

Using Dig, one can query a specific ISP DNS server, or public DNS server such as Google Public DNS or Level3 to check the status of domain propagation:

For instance, the following query:

dig @8.8.8.8 drewsymo.com

Will result in:

; <<>> DiG 9.3.6-P1-RedHat-9.3.6-20.P1.el5_8.2 <<>> @8.8.8.8 drewsymo.com
; (1 server found)
;; global options: printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 23593

;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0;; QUESTION SECTION:
;drewsymo.com. IN A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
drewsymo.com. 7688 IN A 49.156.27.70
;; Query time: 137 msec
;; SERVER: 8.8.8.8#53(8.8.8.8)
;; WHEN: Wed Aug 22 08:26:15 2012
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 46

Additionally, one can check the status of a particular record, by issuing a query such as:

dig @8.8.8.8 MX drewsymo.com
dig @8.8.8.8 TXT drewsymo.com

Alternatively, you can use a tool such as the Global DNS Propagation Checker to check domain propagation against a list of international DNS servers (including Australia)

You can find a comprehensive list of recursive DNS servers here.

Retrieving Australian Domain (.au) ccTLD EPP Codes

Living in Australia has its benefits, one of those benefits is that .au ccTLD EPP codes (domain passwords) can be retrieved directly from the auDA.

One of the great things about this tool is that you can view the authorised email address associated to the domain, providing you with the email address the EPP code will be sent to.

Retrieve Australian Domain EPP Code

Detailed Status Reports of a Domain Name via IntoDNS or ViewDNS

If you would prefer a more detailed overview of a domain name, you could use a tool such as IntoDNS or ViewDNS to check the health of a domain name.

These tools offer a broader insight into the domain, highlighting any defects that it may encounter.

See it for yourself:

http://intodns.com/drewsymo.com
http://viewdns.info/dnsreport/?domain=drewsymo.com

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