Illustrated TCP/IP by Matthew G. Naugle Wiley Computer Publishing, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN: 0471196568   Pub Date: 11/01/98

Chapter 237
Playing with the Database

Playing with the Database

There is a program available (not usually available on Windows 95, but is on all Unix systems) called nslookup. This is a program that transmits queries to a specified name server. If you have this program, you can use it and another name server to supply information to you.

nslookup <domain name such as starburstcom.com) 198.49.25.10

With the preceding command and arguments you are asking a name server whose address is 198.49.25.10 (this is one of the InterNIC’s name servers) to supply information about a domain such as starburstcom.com.

If you have access to the Web, then head up to the InterNIC (US, RIPE for Europe, and APNIC for Asia Pacific) Point your browser to:

ds.internic.net/cool/dns.html.

All the records for the domains that it is authoritative for (which are all the top-level domains: .com, .net, etc.) are there. Check “any information” plus the ANY radio dial button and see what comes back.