# Cannot resolve IP to domain name

## Spiralagnus

I run a website on a Gentoo server.  Recently, the domain name for the site stopped working.  I can access the site by plugging the IP directly into the browser, but if I type in the domain name, I get a "www.nique.net cannot be found.  Please check the name and try again" error message.

The error_log shows nothing unusual.  (The SIGTERM message is from when I restarted apache.)

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> [Wed Aug 31 21:18:07 2005] [notice] caught SIGTERM, shutting down
> 
> [Wed Aug 31 21:18:13 2005] [notice] Apache/2.0.52 (Gentoo/Linux) mod_ssl/2.0.52 OpenSSL/0.9.7e PHP/4.3.11 configured -- resuming normal operations
> ...

 

I've also checked the /etc/hosts file and the /etc/conf.d/net file and the /etc/resolv.conf file, and they are unchanged.  Any recommendations?  

Thanks.

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## Dlareh

which nameserver are you listing with?

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## Spiralagnus

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by which nameserver?  We're running the DNS off the same server in question. i.e. the /etc/resolv.conf file reads 

 *Quote:*   

> domain nique.net
> 
> nameserver 127.0.0.1

 

What other information do you need to know?

I appreciate your help. Thanks.

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## Crisis

I think you may need to check with your registrar to make sure you are pointing to the right place, I am not getting anything for that domain:

```
dig www.nique.net

; <<>> DiG 9.2.5 <<>> www.nique.net

;; global options:  printcmd

;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached
```

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## DaveArb

Your primary nameserver is listed at Netsol as ns1.ctinet.net. [204.238.102.253], which is not responding. Your secondary nameserver is ns1.nique.net. [130.207.52.101], which also is not responding. You need working nameservers... Your resolv.conf governs how your webserver looks names up, not how it is looked up by others.

Dave

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## Spiralagnus

 *Quote:*   

> Your primary nameserver is listed at Netsol as ns1.ctinet.net. [204.238.102.253], which is not responding. Your secondary nameserver is ns1.nique.net. [130.207.52.101], which also is not responding. You need working nameservers... Your resolv.conf governs how your webserver looks names up, not how it is looked up by others. 

 

I know.  What do I need to do, then?  Any changes to resolv.conf?

Please let me know. Thanks.

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## DaveArb

 *Spiralagnus wrote:*   

> 
> 
> I know.  What do I need to do, then?

 

You need working nameservers that are accessible from the Internet.

For the primary: If you've contracted with Coleman Technologies to host your DNS, you need to give them a ring and find out what gives with their nameservers, neither of them are responding properly for your domain. If you aren't paying them to host your DNS, you need to get their nameservers out of your configuration at your registrar, Network Solutions.

For the secondary, you have that pointing to the same machine as your web server. That's not the most robust setup there can be, but it can work. However, it appears you have no DNS server running on the machine, as requests are just timing out. This could be something as simple as BIND having been shut down and not restarted, or the DNS server may never have been configured in the first place, giving you a bad configuration that didn't show until CTI stopped serving your DNS. If you're not going to serve DNS from that machine, you should take it's IP out of your registrar configuration.

Summary: You need some nameserver(s) to serve your domain, and your record at Network Solutions must accurately reflect that (those) nameserver's IPs. Once this is all set up, don't be surprised if your domain still doesn't resolve everywhere for a day or two, DNS changes are a slow process.

 *Spiralagnus wrote:*   

> Any changes to resolv.conf?

 

No, that's for your server's use only, not for the rest of us on the 'net.

Dave

[edit]As an afterthought: I don't know what your domain's status is with the University, but could you ask them to host your DNS?

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## Ph0eniX

 *Spiralagnus wrote:*   

>  *Quote:*   Your primary nameserver is listed at Netsol as ns1.ctinet.net. [204.238.102.253], which is not responding. Your secondary nameserver is ns1.nique.net. [130.207.52.101], which also is not responding. You need working nameservers... Your resolv.conf governs how your webserver looks names up, not how it is looked up by others.  
> 
> I know.  What do I need to do, then?  Any changes to resolv.conf?
> 
> Please let me know. Thanks.

 

Your DNS servers need to be accessible from the internet (ports UDP:53 and TCP:53) before anyone can get to your web site by name.   What changes have you made to the system recently (perhaps installed a new firewall)?

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