Using nslookup?

[Yor Suiris]

OK, I am trying to trouble shoot a DNS problem.
But first I need to understand nslookup and it's limitations.

It seems that I can only list a domain (LS -d domain.com) when I am
connected to the DNS server that handles that domain. Other wise I get query
refused.
Or sometimes with LS I get non-existent domain even though a query for the
domain name returns the server's IP.
Is this normal? Or does it mean I have a problem?
Thanks for your time.

 

[William Stacey [MVP]]

truly if your goal is diag, toss nslookup and get dig from www.isc.org or
netdig.exe at www.mvptools.com (from yours truly). Most dns diag'ers here
use dig. nslookup is not as well suited to this task. Plus you will learn
a great new tool.

 

[Jonathan de Boyne Pollard]

YS> I need to understand nslookup and it's limitations.

<URL:http://homepages.tesco.net./~J.deBoynePollard/FGA/nslookup-flaws.html>

YS> It seems that I can only list a domain (LS -d domain.com) when [...]

"listing a domain" is actually "performing a 'zone transfer'".
The modern trend, based upon some rather shaky security analysis, is
for content DNS server administrators to restrict what clients may
perform "zone transfers".