# nslookup not working correctly with dns servers



## artcurmudgeon (Jan 11, 2010)

In a nutshell, I have a couple of people in my dept that want to use nslookup and I am in the process of rebuilding the dns servers and upgrade them. 

When someone trys an nslookup this is what they get...


```
*** Can't find server name for address 10.97.4.21: Server failed
*** Can't find server name for address 10.97.4.22: Server failed
*** Default servers are not available
Server:  UnKnown
Address:  10.97.4.21

Name:    google.com
Addresses:  209.85.225.147, 209.85.225.99, 209.85.225.103, 209.85.225.104
	  209.85.225.105, 209.85.225.106
```

I am at a bit of a loss...

Any thoughts?

Thanks


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## Alt (Jan 11, 2010)

Have you correct reverse for 10.97.4.21?


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## DutchDaemon (Jan 11, 2010)

This looks like a typical MS error. I think MS products complain when nameservers do not have correct PTR records, and even invalidate nameservers that don't resolve. From the looks of it, this is not a fatal error, because resolving does appear to take place. If you can manage to make the IP addresses 10.97.4.21 and 10.97.4.22 resolve to a hostname (and the other way around) these warnings will probably disappear.


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## artcurmudgeon (Jan 11, 2010)

it turns out that the reverse for .21 and .22 were both wrong.

I inherited this setup from the previous sysadmin who was promoted, the old dns server has a setup listed in it from about a year ago when they converted ip schemes and when to a ms dhcp server(before anyone kills me this is school and there are some ms products they need).

I found a reference in the reverse list that pointed to the old numbering scheme, once corrected and brought up to date, it works correctly.

thanks again to all


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## J65nko (Jan 11, 2010)

From Bernsteins mumblings about *nslookup* in http://cr.yp.to/djbdns/nslookup.html


> What exactly is nslookup doing wrong? Three things:
> 
> 
> Before doing what you tell it to do, nslookup tries a PTR query on the server's IP address, so that it can tell you the server's name, as if this information were more useful than the name or IP address that you gave nslookup in the first place.
> ...


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## DutchDaemon (Jan 11, 2010)

True. Which is why nslookup is deprecated and tools like host and dig are preferred. Not sure which options MS has.


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