On Thu, Sep 22, 2011 at 04:28:50PM -0500, Ryan Coleman wrote: > > > On Sep 22, 2011, at 3:14 PM, Robert Bonomi wrote: > > >> From owner-freebsd-questi...@freebsd.org Thu Sep 22 14:30:49 > >> 2011 Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:30:54 -0700 From: Gary Kline > >> <kl...@thought.org> To: FreeBSD Mailing List > >> <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Cc: Subject: much to my > >> surprise.... > >> > >> > >> guys, > >> > >> well, after a forced, unexpected, and emergency 5 days away, i > >> got back to my desk and could not ping. while mail seemed to be > >> working, and my *local* ping worked---I could ping around from my > >> freebsd server to my other computers--i spent 3+ hours trying to > >> ping various sites. Zero. i tried everything i could think of. > >> NOTHING worked. i tried the -d -f -f to named and on and on and > >> on. nothing. > >> > >> *Finally*, i saw that my telco router was displaying "INT" in > >> red LED's. i didn't know they displayed in any other color but > >> the default green, but after power-cycling, voila! back to green. > >> and now, yes, i can ping freebsd.org. and i'm pretty sure other > >> network things will work too. > >> > >> from any/all sysadmin types or others:: i would like tricks, > >> tips, insights--whatever--about named and whatever else. i > >> thought i had collected many. nope. i've got bind 9.8 > >> installed and it was working fine until my recent 'vacation.' > >> Other than checking one's routers (hub/switch), and other > >> hardware (including server, computers, cables, etc) does anybody > >> have a checklist of what to do to diagnose this? are there any > >> other utilities i can try besides ping and named -d 3 -f -g? > >> other network utilities with a debug flag? i'm running 7.3 on a > >> dell 530. > >> > >> tia for any insights, > > > > You should _really_ consider hiring a professional to maintain > > your systems. > > > > Diagnosing _this_ problem should have taken no more than about 30 > > *seconds*. > > > > If you can't get somewhere 'by name', you try to get there 'by > > address'. > > > > If 'by address' works and 'by name' doesn't, *that* is the > > indication of a DNS problem. > > > > If you can't get there 'by address', it is *NOT* a DNS problem, > > and you start looking for a 'connectivity' problem. > > > > The *BASIC* tools for that start with 'traceroute'. Which would > > have *immediately* (well, within abut ten seconds :) indicated > > exactly _where_ the problem was. > > > > Those who don't understand these kind dof things are "too > > dangerous" to be trusted with the superuser password. > > > > Bluntly, not only do you not know the things you need to know to > > manage a (even 'personal') network, you "DON'T KNOW _what_ you > > don't know", and until you *do* learn the basics, you'll save > > youself a *LOT* of hair- tearing if you hire someone to solve the > > problems for you. > > I whole-heartedly agree with Robert's points. > > I host in my apartment... but I have more than a decade's experience > maintaining networks and systems and, while the occasional issue > stumps me, I'm pretty good at getting to the root of issues in > minutes vs hours. > > Yes, I was once a... for lack of a better term... moron on these > things and I relied heavily on the tech who pushed me (gently) > towards ?BSD from RHL and I am gracious every day for that nudge. > > Experience is the best way to pick up the "quick list" of things to > check on if there's a problem on your connectivity... but there's > one thing I *must* stress: NEVER EVER EVER run your own DNS service. > It's too much of a PITA. When I quit doing my own DNS my issues > revolving around that ended. I use DynDNS to run my primary domain > and all the others run through GoDaddy's free DNS manager. This is > because I use the primary domain's hostname as my MX record on all > the others. While GD's DNS is functional, it's also cumbersome, too > cumbersome to update on a semi-regular basis. I highly suggest that > you do the same. $20/year for DynDNS' full domain service is worth > the price. > > My two bits (and a nibble). -- > Ryan_______________________________________________
It's $30/year for DynDNS where I am (UK). I had to use them because my static IP all of a sudden became dynamic (crappy ISP). Now it seems to have gone back to static again. I certainly wouldn't consider running my own DNS server (having done it). It's more trouble than it's worth and is just one more vulnerability/thing to go wrong. You can just use hosts for a small network. Regards, -- Frank Contact info: http://www.shute.org.uk/misc/contact.html
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