DHCP/DNS not returning name server to clients

named.conf has addtional settings, including the line...

include "/etc/bind/named.conf.local";

As a sidenote, this is a continuation of http://www.experts-exchange.com/Networking/Protocols/Q_24709429.html (see paragraph with PROBLEM from my 5th comment )

Do you see any errors in a log file when named starts?
Are the zones loaded correctly?
Can you resolve on the server (nslookup was from a client or the server?)?

Hi,

First of all you need to change your SOA record in your zone files. @ is a special character for zone files and it will be expanded to your domain name when seen.  So if you leave the "@" in our email address then it will be replaced with your domain name immediately.

So your SOA should read :

@           IN SOA   staging.home. me.gmail.com. (

                                              

1:

Please modify all your zoen files as follows:

/etc/bind/zones/rev.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa:
$TTL 10800
@                    IN        SOA   staging.home. me@gmail.com. (
                       2009090701       ; serial  
                       7200                   ; refresh
                       7200                   ; retry
                       1814400             ; expire
                       10800                 ; ttl
 )

                       IN  NS staging.home.            ; Important to finish with dot toherwise will be completed
                                                                    ; by  "@" = rev.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa
                                                                    ; if left as you did "staging." it would search for a TLD called
                                                                    ; staging not gonna be added with .local
6                     IN  PTR staging.home.

/etc/bind/zones/home.db
$TTL 10800
@                  IN SOA staging.home. me@gmail.com. (
                     2009090701    ; serial
                     7200                ; refresh
                     7200                ; retry
                    1814400           ; expiry
                    10800               ; ttl
)

                     IN NS staging

staging          IN     A    192.168.1.6

*                    IN     A    192.168.1.6             ; it is enough to put "*" here en anything you add here
                                                                    ; including  any tirtiary doma will be replied with the
                                                                    ; address    

/etc/bind/named.conf.local:
zone "home" {
 type master;
 file "/etc/bind/zones/home.db";
 };

zone "1.168.192.in-addr.arpa" {
 type master;
 file "/etc/bind/zones/rev.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa";
};

/etc/resolv.conf:
search home
nameserver 192.168.1.6

I've finally solved this... final config files:

/etc/bind/zones/home.db:

$TTL 10800
home. IN SOA staging.home. me@gmail.com. (
20090802 ; serial
7200     ; refresh
7200     ; retry
1814400  ; expiry
10800    ; ttl
)

@ NS staging

staging A 192.168.1.6
*.staging A 192.168.1.6

/etc/bind/zones/rev.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa:

$TTL 10800
@ IN SOA staging.home. me.gmail.com. (
 00000002       ; serial
 7200           ; refresh
 7200           ; retry
 1814400        ; expire
 10800          ; ttl
 )

@ NS staging.home.
6 IN PTR staging.home.

/etc/dhcp3/dhcpd.conf:

ddns-update-style interim;
ignore client-updates;
 
subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
        range 192.168.1.15 192.168.1.254;
        option routers                  192.168.1.1;
        option subnet-mask              255.255.255.0;
 
        option domain-name              "home";
        option domain-name-servers      192.168.1.6;
        option broadcast-address 192.168.1.255;
 
        default-lease-time 21600;
        max-lease-time 43200;
 
}

apache.conf (end):

<VirtualHost *:80>
DocumentRoot /var/www/
ServerName staging
</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost *:80>
DocumentRoot /var/www/website1/webroot/
ServerName website1.staging
ServerAlias website1.staging.home
</VirtualHost>

------

now http://website.staging and http://website1.staging.home both point to website1,

http://staging and http://staging.home both point to the apache doc root on staging machine. And this all happens for any dhcp client.

        option domain-name              "home";

in /etc/dhcp3/dhcpd.conf was key to getting clients to resolve the address shortcuts (http://staging, instead of http://staging.home) that put...

        DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : home

on windows (C:\>ipconfig /all) and set "Search Domains" to "home" on OSX.

The zone file changes you suggested didn't work, they actually stopped the DNS from resolving any internal names. Awarding answer to solution :)

Accepted answer contained solution:

        option domain-name              "home";

> The zone file changes you suggested didn't work, they actually stopped the DNS from resolving any > internal names.

This is imposible may be there were some typos. The fina lversion should be:

/etc/bind/zones/home.db:
 
$TTL 10800
; Here the at sign macro equals to home since the zone is called home
; you should avoid using at sign in anywhere except you'll need macro
; expansion.
; query your soa with a command like this:
; nslookup
; > set type=SOA
; name
 
@             IN       SOA staging.home. me.gmail.com. (
              2009090802 ; serial
              7200     ; refresh
              7200     ; retry
              1814400  ; expiry
              10800    ; ttl
)
 
; here I've omitted the @ because till you use a name all designators
; would mean the initial nam e = at sign = home
; no need to repeat.
 
              IN  NS staging
; Since at sign is equal to home the domain will be completed as 
; "staging.home". You'd better use staging.home. for clarity though.
 
 
staging           IN  A 192.168.1.6
*.staging         IN  A 192.168.1.6
 
; the asterisk must respond to anything ending with the domain .home
; and not contained in this zone file with the IP adress regardless of 
; it is 3rd or 4th level domain. (i.e., xxx.home or www.staging.home)
; so it is better to keep it *.staging since it will only reply to 
; xxx.staging.home but not xxx.home this way.
 
/etc/bind/zones/rev.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa:
 
$TTL 10800
@               IN SOA staging.home. me.gmail.com. (
                2009090802       ; serial
                7200           ; refresh
                7200           ; retry
                1814400        ; expire
                10800          ; ttl
                )
 
                IN NS staging.home.
 
6               IN PTR staging.home.

                                              

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