Linux: Setup as DNS Client / Name Server IP Address

Posted on in Categories Debian Linux, FreeBSD, Gentoo Linux, Howto, Linux, Networking, OpenBSD, RedHat/Fedora Linux, Solaris, Suse Linux, Ubuntu Linux, UNIX, Wireless networking last updated December 1, 2004

Many new Linux user finds it difficult to setup / modify new name server address (NS1 / NS2).

Local name resolution is done via /etc/hosts file. If you have small network, use /etc/hosts file. DNS (domain name service is accountable for associating domain names with ip address, for example domain yahoo.com is easy to remember than IP address 202.66.66.12) provides better name resolution. To configure Linux as DNS client you need to edit or modify /etc/resolv.conf file. This file defines which name servers to use. You want to setup Linux to browse net or run network services like www or smtp; then you need to point out to correct ISP DNS servers:

/etc/resolv.conf file

In Linux and Unix like computer operating systems, the /etc/resolv.conf configuration file contains information that allows a computer connected to the Internet to convert alpha-numeric names into the numeric IP addresses that are required for access to external network resources on the Internet. The process of converting domain names to IP addresses is called “resolving.”

The resolv.conf file typically contains the IP addresses of nameservers (DNS name resolvers) that attempt to translate names into addresses for any node available on the network.

Setup DNS Name resolution

Steps to configure Linux as DNS client, first login as a root user (use su command):

Step # 1: Open /etc/resolv.conf file:

# vi /etc/resolv.conf

Step #2: Add your ISP nameserver as follows:

search isp.com
nameserver 202.54.1.110
nameserver 202.54.1.112
nameserver 202.54.1.115

Note Max. three nameserver can be used/defined at a time.

Step # 3:Test setup nslookup or dig command:

$ dig www.nixcraft.com
$ nslookup www.nixcraft.com

See also:

Posted by: Vivek Gite

The author is the creator of nixCraft and a seasoned sysadmin and a trainer for the Linux operating system/Unix shell scripting. He has worked with global clients and in various industries, including IT, education, defense and space research, and the nonprofit sector. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+.

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50 comment

  2. This is quite useful when you have DSL or dial up connection and would like to setup dns quickly under Linux. Or even when you can’t browse site on net using domain name but you can browse them (ping them) using the ip-address. This solved my problem as well as Temporary failure in name resolution (which can be caused by ssh, telnet or mail client etc) To browse Internet one need to configure the DNS properly. Thanks for this tiny post.

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  4. hi;

    Im having problem with DNS where it unable to lookup the dns that i have setupd. i have configured my hosts file and resolve.conf but stil not solving my problem. i have statis dns ip from ISP and currently using fedora8. any1 having problem with dns with fc8. i cant surf the internet.it takes long time to resolve suspect that it getting dns from my router. where it not resolving it from what i have edited in the machine. request is tooo slow. anything that could help to solve? need help. i have checked all my setting everything is fine.

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  6. Hi,
    I’ve setup the internet connection through PPP dial up and able to get the public IP assigned to me. Also I’ve configured the DNS server address in the /etc/resolv.conf file.
    The problem is, I’m able to ping to my ISP’s IP and also to any public IP addresses, but not to any domain names.
    ping http://www.google.com, always fails saying unknown host, but at the same time nslookup and dig work fine(able to resove IP from domain name).
    What may be the problem?, please do help, Thanks in advance,

    –Ganesh

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  13. for redhat linux, im able to ping the ip address from the client side but not the server name .. i type “neat” and under the tab hosts, i put my address as 123.0.0.5 and hostname as funnybone.123.com but im unable to, mind helping out? thx

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  14. hi! i m doing a project on redhat linux 5.3.. my project requires me to setup a dns master server on the server computer. and a client computer have to ping the server and itself by hostname. i m able to use the client computer to ping server computer by hostname and ip. but the client can’t ping itself by hostname. may i know wat is the problem? do i nid to install bind in the client computer as well?
    thanks and regards.

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  17. You might want to consider adding OpenDNS servers too.

    And if you run any Debian based distribution, try to install the package resolveconf “aptitude install resloveconf” and this will be solved for most parts (dhcpclients) and you add your dns servers in network configuration file /etc/network/interfaces

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  20. i know my proxy server ip and i put it in the resolve.conf file like explained above

    nameserver xxx.xxx.x.xx

    however when i do dig http://www.google.com it gives me

    ; <> DiG 9.2.4 <> http://www.google.com
    ;; global options: printcmd
    ;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

    I even tried adding the proxy=xxx.xxx.x.xx: to my yum.conf file

    Still getting the same error.. Please suggest

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  26. Hello.
    I am just wondering. Setting up my first web server to run my website.
    I got a domain name paid for and a dns thing from them.
    Do i just plug this in the resolv.conf file?
    I guess my question would be what does the resolve file look like when we are getting a domain name and dns from some company online in order to make our server public?

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    1. Sorry but wanted to add another question.
      What about IP address do I just pick one out of the air? or set it do Dynamic?
      Right now I got my server working in lan as a local server for testing but would like to connect it to the web for my website so hard finding help for this set up. Usually everything is for local server setup.

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    1. I got it working thanks. with inadyn setup as the dns part.
      I decided to avoid the security issues I would have as a beginner with setting up my own dns server at home.
      Thank you for this site. I learned the most important lesson I think which is I am still a beginner and I should take it one step at a time.

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  30. Dear sir,

    I have installed two linux (os) & on each OS oracle11g installed on the vmware and now configuring the server and client on linux, And also two databases are created on each OS.

    Now i want to configure the client/server but i am not able to connect due to proper ping,IP & host name, so kinly give me the proper steps with connection scripts.

    thanks & Regards
    Dinesh

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  31. Dear Sir

    I am having problwm with Redhat Enterprise Linux 4 about Configuring it as a internet server
    I want to use RHEL 4 as a server and windows XP Systems as a clients for sharing internet among them ,

    Pls assist me about doing the same

    thanking you

    sanjay mahajan

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  37. #hostname
    light
    #donainname
    (none)
    #dnsdomainname
    mylinux.com

    nameserver 10.10.10.9

    what should be instead of “isp.com” in
    “search isp.com” as according to my system.
    and what if i use
    “domain” instead of “search” in /etc/resolv.conf file

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  41. Could you please tell me what is Global DNS server? when is it used? And how is it configured in linux?
    Is it used when you dont define any DNS IP in resov.conf?Where can it be configured?

    Please guide.

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