Hi, can someone explain how Personalized Name Servers work?

Is it an alias to a true DNS server?

My host told me my Personalized Name Servers will be
ns0.mycompany.com
ns1.mycompany.com

but I noticed that their IP addresses are the same as the host's
ns0.thehostingcompany.com
ns1.thehostingcompany.com

How does it work? What is the point of using Personalized Name Servers if the above is the case... anyone who query the IP address will show ns0.thehostingcompany.com not ns0.mycompany.com

Is the above what you guys are getting?

hmm,

Your host should have gave u two unqiue ips.

ns1.yourdomain.com -> ip1
ns2.yourdomina.com -> ip2


but I noticed that their IP addresses are the same as the host's
ns0.thehostingcompany.com
ns1.thehostingcompany.com

???

I believe that's a alias to their ip...which means they did not give you, your own ips

ips cost money...

Hope this helps

Originally posted by myst
My host told me my Personalized Name Servers will be
ns0.mycompany.com
ns1.mycompany.com
but I noticed that their IP addresses are the same as the host's
ns0.thehostingcompany.com
ns1.thehostingcompany.com


What I believe it's impossible to point two different nameservers to one IP address.

Originally posted by myst
Is it an alias to a true DNS server?

My host told me my Personalized Name Servers will be
ns0.mycompany.com
ns1.mycompany.com

but I noticed that their IP addresses are the same as the host's
ns0.thehostingcompany.com
ns1.thehostingcompany.com

I wouldn't think this would work when you tried to register them. They should be unique, but anyway, yes they are just an alias to a true DNS server, and anyone who queries the IP address (regardless), or your aliased nameservers, or a domain using your aliased nameservers would be able to find out the host.

This is why ***** uses propagation.net (somewhat hidden though still easy to spot a mile away), and Communitech uses host4u (or something like that), to try to hide it a bit more.

I also don't think it will work but I don't know why they ask me to give my customers those dns
ns0.mycompany.com
ns1.mycompany.com

and the IP addresses are the same

Maybe something is done with cname or so here??
Or does this sound weird??

Actually this sounds like a simple CNAME to their own NS. Beware of this cause there could be NS poison in such a case. Imagine this scenario:

Web hosting company allows you to insert a domain into their DNS. You decide that you like "cnn.com" and insert it there.

If there is no check for the validity of the domain, if it's being served elsewhere etc etc (you can never be sure if a domain is "on the move" or hosted elsewhere) you hijacked CNN's domain for this NS.

So when the next door server tries to send an email to CNN they simply send it to (you?) the MX record that *falsely* your web host has in his database.

Same happens if you move a server to another webhost and your previous web host does not delete the domain zone file. His clients will still think that this domain is valid.

And this IS a problem as well :-)

Nick

nick, you sure that is possible?

first of all, the owner of the domain name has to point his domain to the right DNS server. so even if you set up the zones for cnn.com in YOUR DNS, it won't work.

right?

Yes, of course it's possible.

Just think of this:

your friend "annoy ing" hosts domain "Iamcool.info" with "cool host dudes". He also hosts domain "ilovelucy.info" with "more cool host dudes" for another server of his.

You decide to play with him so you sign up with "cool host dudes" which allows you to insert domains into his MAIN DNS server and you insert domain "Ilovelucy.info" to their DNS.

When your friend tries to use services of "cool host dudes" and send email to "Ilovelucy.info" actually the MX records (could) point to IP of "Iamabaddude.info" which belongs to you.

It's as simple as that.

Or think of this:

Your friend decides to host hosting with "cool host dudes". But they don't delete the zone file for "Iamcool.info" domain from their NS. It will still - forever until they delete it - point at the wrong IP which means that every user / server that uses their NS (virtual hosts, SMTP users etc) simply receives wrong info and thinks that this info comes from the right NS for this domain.

Yes, it's simple as that and I used to have this problem with an old web host which is now sold to Interliant from 1997 till 1999 when they decided to tell me "we haven't been invoicing you for services for domain blahblah for 2 years". Please pay us or we will kill your server.

Of course I have moved this server (and faxed them about it) in 1997... But all this time, when one of the 50.000 virtual hosts that this company hosted tried to access blahblah they were giving them the wrong info.

Unfortunately it's one of the things noone thinks about. And it's not even a "hack/crack". It's a matter of Internet knowledge.

Nick

BTW, I am not talking about domain hijacking in general.

I am talking about how your domain could have problems from bad people or DNS servers that client is allowed to insert zones without any control.

You cannot hijack CNN.com in general. But if you know that an important information is being delivered via email to "abc@ISP.com" - for example Credit Cards!!!! you could easily hijack this email unfortunately.

That's why I always talk about encryption and "not secure, try doing it the other way" but not many clients listen...

Nick

The truth behind that you simply have aliases. Network Solutions does not allow more than one name server per IP, that is a fact. As mentioned earlier in this post, your host should have granted you your own name servers using dedicated IPs:

ns1.your_name.com - your 1'st IP
ns2.your_name.com - your 2'nd IP

I hope you did not get charged extra for these. :(