Reverse DNS -- Domain Name Not Resolving...or is it?

[HyperactiveFun]

Hi Guys - I hope your week is going well. Ya got a moment to help me out with something?

Is there something "special" I need to do to get reverse DNS working, such as registering with ARIN or something? I'm guessing there must be, because I cannot seem to get my servers domains to resolve elsewhere.

I think I have things set up correctly, but no luck.

I have a VPS (shard managed hosting [that I myself didn't have to setup] (so things typically work as they should)) account on the East coast with Verio, and while testing, I have host lookups on for Apache. With my new dedicated Linux rack box on the West coast, I'm setting up myself, when I hit the East coast box with it, in the East coasts server logs it merely shows the IP address, while other computers show a FQDN in Apache's logs.

Now, this didn't bother me at first, because I knew I didn't have things (DNS) set up correctly while struggling to get things going, but now, I think I have everything right, and it still (if accessing my East server using, say, lynx to view one of its web sites) only shows the IP (216.38.143.167).

Using a program (while on my remote Win XP box) called "Internet ToolBox" by Idyle Software, if I use the Domain Name Server Query feature, and enter 216.38.143.167 in the IP address box, and 216.38.143.167 in the DNS server to use query box, and select PTR Lookup, I get this:


"Authoritative answer:
167.143.38.216.in-addr.arpa name = extranetserver.com"

So doesn't that mean it's "reverse resolving" or being properly "looked up" ??

If I use http://www.domtools.com/dlint/nph-dlint.cgi?zone=extranetserver.com it tells me:

"ERROR: extranetserver.com. has an A record of 216.38.143.167, but no reverse PTR record for 167.143.38.216.in-addr.arpa. can be found on nameserver dns.extranetserver.com."

But I have a file for that, and besides, if I add it, I still get that messages.

I'm way confused. Can somebody try it and see for me if it is infact resolving, and, if not, give me any clues to make it?
The domain name is extranetserver.com, and if you haven't figured this out by now, the IP is 216.38.143.167.

Thank you very much. Take care.

- Steve

[bastard23]

Steve,
You need to get your ISP to add the reverse mapping to their DNS server, since they own the IP address. Give them a call, it's trivial for them. Since you've added the reverse mapping on your server, it will work as long as you query it. But everyone else has their own DNS server which doesn't use your DNS server for reverse mapping. (and how could it?)

Try this:
dig @216.38.143.167 167.143.38.216.in-addr.arpa

and then do a dig w/ your ISP's DNS server and see the difference.

Hope that helps,
chris