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unomateo

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dns server on cable

I need help in setting up a dns server for my home. I own the domain name turnedon.com and I want my home computer to serve web pages under that name.

I have a linux computer as a masquerading computer for my home network which is using 192.168 ip numbers. I have a cable connection to the internet which is a real ip number 24.5...

My first question: Is this possible?
when I set up my computer I use almda1.sfba.home.com for my domain name, is it possible to change that to turnedon.com and have everything work normal?

Then do I have to set up the linux computer to become a dns server? I have already set it up as a caching dns server, but I have to change my dns server which is registered to the internic right?
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diuqil

If you have a static IP, you can have  the  turnedon.com point to your cable IP.  But if someone does a reverse DNS, eg  numbers -> words  it will display the almda1.sfba.home.com

IT IS POSSIBLE :)
Yes it is possible for it to work normal, given the conditions above.

Yeah, you will hafta setup your linux box as a primary nameserver for your domain  (it is relatively straight forward).  

You will hafta change the parent DNS records to point to your cable IP.  

The downside to this, is if your cable comapany decides to change your IP, then you will hafta change all ya setting and ya site will prolly be down for a couple of days ...since you will hafta update your internet stuff !
sorry ...it will be down for a couple of day (if your cable company change your IP) because of the turnaround of  INTERNIC  ..and you will also need to wait upto a week for your DNS stuff to filter throughout the world.
If you don't have a static IP (the usual case with a cable modem), you can't run your own DNS server for the domain. However, you can use one of the Dynamic DNS services, like http://www.tzo.com/ or http://www.dyndns.com/

If you've got a static IP, there's a little bit more to it than just setting up a DNS server. You need to get the cable provider to delegate the IP to your domain and you need someone, probably the cable provider to host your second (caching) nameserver.
Check your terms of service ageement with the cable company. Running any type of server is usually a violation of the TOS agreement with most cable modem providers.


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ASKER

Thanks for the advice.
I do have a static ip and I am pretty sure that the cable company will not let me use them as a caching nameserver. then again I am really only doing this to learn how to do it.

Can I point the primary nameserver to my linux box and the secondary nameserver to the nameserver at my work?
unateo:  Can I point the primary nameserver to my linux box and the secondary nameserver to the nameserver at my work?  <-- you can
You stll have to get the static IP delegated from your cable provider to your domain, otherwise IP-name lookups will be screwed up as two nameservers, bothe yours and the cable provider will have PTR records for them.
jlevie:  you won't run the inaddr.arpa for a single address.  The cable provider does that, all that unomateo will hafta do is run Name --> Address translation.  

If he wants to do it cheap, then he will hafta take the good with the bad.
Well, if you intend for your nameserver to operate in accordance with the RFC you can't have the the reverse lookup pointing into some other domain, which is what will happen if the IP isn't delegated to you so that you can put it in your in-addr.arpa table.
It doesn't really matter.  Virtual hosting use multiple hostnames for a single IP.  It is conserving the IP space.
Ah, but we're not talking about virtual hosts yet, just the DNS server. And it does matter for that.
Well, if he wanted to do it properly, he wouldn't be trying to host it off a standard cable connection. With a single IP :)    IP's cost shitloads these days don't they !??!

For the DNS, he just makes the primary DNS the Cable companies provided hostname and IP.   He can make his domain point to that IP.  It is just the (un)professionalism factor i think we are debating here.
Yes, I agree that he can point his primary dns at the static ip. The problem, if he doesn't "do it right by getting the IP delegated to him", is that there are then two name->IP->name mappings in the DNS namespace, with the same IP being in two different domains, with two different SOA's. The root servers will show his static IP as the pointer to his domain, but a reverse lookup, something that many email servers now do as an anti-spam measure, will point into the ISP's domain. And then there's still the problem of who will provide his secondary name server.

To some degree, I agree that we are debating the professionalism of this kind of thing. But I see it as a bit more than that. If you are going to set up a DNS server, you need to do it right or not do it at all. I see entirely too many problems with poorly administered or wrongly configured nameservers on a daily basis.
I am not starting a business off of my cable connection, this is only for learning. I understand that if I was starting a business then i would use a dsl line or t1, but until then I am stuck with a cable connection.

So let me get this straight:
will this work, on my linux box (firewall/masq computer) I can start the "named" service, which will start the dns server.
I bought a domain name a long time ago and pointed it to the nameserver at my work. You know I need two nameservers to register a name, So I want to change my registration and point the primary nameserver to my linux box and the secondary server will point to my work's nameserver (Not sure about that?)
That way I can let the configuration on my works server stay the same?

Is so far so good? I don't care about reverse lookup  or anything like that, Yet, I just want to see if I can make this work (UNPROFESSIONALY)

No if the nameserver on the linux box is working I can point the rest on the network to it and they should all be able to use. I Already have the linux box set up as a caching name server and it seems to work, I just have to make
"soa" or something that says that www.turnedon.com lives here on the nameserver (Simple way to put it?).

I know it is not the right way to do it, but I gotta learn somehow?
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jlevie

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Cool, I will use that.
If you'd like, I can send you a set up files that can be used as a template for setting up a primary server. If you'll send an email to jlevie@bellsouth.net, I'll mail them to you.
There's another option that is better in a number of ways:  Have the company that registers your domain name do your name serving.  I looked into this a few months ago and found that many domain name registrars include this service at the same price as others that don't.  See www.enom.com for example.

The advantages of this are: 1) You don't have to violate your contract with your ISP that says you won't run any servers; 2) It is really hard to set up DNS, and you won't have to; 3) it's faster; 4) It works when your system is down (for what that's worth); 5) You can have an MX record to route your mail somewhere else when your system is broken.

If you have your name registered through Network Solutions, the former monopoly registrar, other registrars can and will painlessly transfer it for you.
I thank all of you for your help, I think I got it up and running. I have been going by the DNS-howto, I got a lot of good tips though. Thanks again.

Matt
So are we finished with this question? If so you ought to pick a comment as the answer and grade it.
How about running The dns Server via a Dsl line for the primary and the secondary DNS on your Cable Modem for tolerance.