External DNS Error

Hi all,

I have a strange DNS query problem! We have an external & internal DNS servers both on Windows 2000. The internal DNS server is AD integrated. When i Nslookup an internet domain, internal DNS gives me proper response, Fine! But When i query from external DNS server, for every query an internal domain suffix is added...

E.g.
----Nslookup-----
> server 80.74.225.100
Default Server: [80.74.225.100]
Address: 80.74.225.100
> URL
Server: [80.74.225.100]
Address: 80.74.225.100
Non-authoritative answer:
Name: URL.marshw.com
Address: 216.21.229.209
----Nslookup-----

The same IP address is added to all the queries with internal domain suffix. After a few days of trial & errors, i found out that if we change DNS settings in 'Append these DNS suffixes (in order)' option in TCP/IP Advanced Properties, i get the proper output. Now after changing this option, i cannot ping my local computers using the host name, i have to give the fully qualified Domain names...
ping <local machine> -----> unknown host
ping <local machine.domain.com> ----> response to ping

Does anyone know if there is a way we can leave the DNS settings same on the client side and change the settings from the DNS Server? Please Help!!!

it's times like this when you should use an external dns query tool to test external dns servers:

resolve @80.74.225.100 www.yahoo.com

As you can see there's nothing wrong at all. It's nslookup that appended the domain suffix. You might want to restrict your resolver for only your clients and not the entire world.

Thanks for the prompt reply...i know both my external DNS works fine my internal domain name is marshw.com and i have an external domain name as well. all computers in the company are connected to the domain. nslookup queries fine with internal dns server, but if i change server <external> in Nslookup, an internal domain suffix is added to all the queries say for example URL. i just want to remove the DNS suffix when used with an external DNS server. Problem only internally...not for users outside our own internal domain...

thanks again!!!

Well I did a bit of research on how nslookup finds the suffix info and I found the following quote:

"If you have implemented the use of the search list in the Domain Suffix Search Order defined on the DNS tab of the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties page, devolution will not occur. The query will be appended to the domain suffixes specified in the list. To avoid using the search list, always use a Fully Qualified Domain Name (that is, add the trailing dot to the name)."

So if you don't want a suffix appended, always add a trailing period to your domain queries. If you want to remove suffix handling, then you need to go to the TCP/IP properties page and fiddle with it.