The Domain Name System (DNS) is the master name service for %%$NETWORK_NAME;%%. This web page allows you to retrieve information from DNS in a simple and friendly way. There are two kinds of basic queries that you can perform with this service. Both of them are simple and fast; which one you use depends on what information you have to start with.

1. Search by Name
   If you know the name of a computer or service on %%$NETWORK_NAME;%% and you'd like to get the IP address. To search by name simply type in a name, such as faxes.mcdonalds.com, into the top half of the form below. Then, click on the "Search by Name" button.
2. Search by Address
   If you know the IP address of a computer on %%$NETWORK_NAME;%%, but you'd like to know its name. Not all addresses have corresponding names, but most of them do. Simply type in the address you have, such as 204.15.65.3, into the bottom half of the form below. Then, click on the "Search by IP Address" button.

Both kinds of searches support several different result type options. Here are short descriptions of what the various result type options mean:

• Addresses (Type=A)
  look up the Internet address of a named host
• Host name (Type=PTR)
  look up the name of a host given its address
• Mail servers (Type=MX)
  look up the mail exchange gateway for a domain
• Name servers (Type=NS)
  look up the DNS server host(s) for a domain
• Host information (Type=SOA)
  list some raw information about a domain
• Anything (Type=ANY)
  list all available normal information
• Domain directory (Special)
  contact the corresponding name server and dump the entire domain [Warning: output can be very large]

Results are always presented in tabular form. If you would also like to see the raw results, check the box labeled "View output log". If the basic search form does not give you enough control, please try the advanced search form.

Below the search form you'll find some more information about DNS, how it works, and how this service can be useful to you.