DNS Servers
Use our DNS Servers Lookup tool to verify authoritative and recursive DNS servers, check configurations, and troubleshoot domain issues instantly.
About DNS Servers
Use our free DNS Servers Lookup tool to instantly check and validate your domain’s authoritative and recursive DNS servers. Get complete details about how your domain resolves, troubleshoot configuration errors, and ensure your DNS setup is secure and efficient.
Validate Your Domain’s DNS Servers Instantly
Simply enter your domain (for example, example.com) and click Validate DNS Servers.
Our tool will scan global resolvers to fetch authoritative name servers, response times, and IP addresses, helping you verify whether your domain is correctly configured and responsive worldwide.
What Is a DNS Server?
A DNS (Domain Name System) server translates human-readable domain names like example.com into machine-readable IP addresses (e.g., 192.0.2.1). This process ensures browsers and devices can locate and connect to the right web servers.
Difference Between Authoritative and Recursive DNS Servers
- Authoritative DNS Servers: Store and provide original DNS records for your domain, such as A, MX, CNAME, and TXT records.
- Recursive DNS Servers: Handle user queries, cache results, and fetch data from authoritative servers to speed up future lookups.
Common examples include Google DNS (8.8.8.8), Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1), and OpenDNS.
Why DNS Servers Are Important for Your Website
DNS servers are the backbone of your website’s accessibility. If your DNS servers fail or misbehave, users won’t be able to reach your site. Monitoring and validating them regularly ensures uptime, speed, and security.
Why Use Our DNS Servers Lookup Tool
Identify Authoritative Name Servers
Quickly find out which name servers host your DNS records and confirm whether they’re correctly pointing to your domain registrar or hosting provider.
Check Configuration Accuracy
Detect outdated or mismatched records that can cause email delivery issues or downtime.
Monitor DNS Propagation and Performance
Track if DNS updates have propagated across all global servers and verify your domain’s performance worldwide.
Diagnose DNS Resolution Issues
Pinpoint DNS errors such as timeouts, unreachable servers, or incorrect configurations before they impact your visitors.
How to Use the DNS Servers Lookup Tool
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Enter your domain name (e.g., example.com).
- Click Lookup to perform a DNS server scan.
- The tool queries multiple authoritative and recursive DNS servers globally.
- View results showing IP addresses, server hostnames, and response times.
- Use the information to validate the configuration or troubleshoot problems.
Example DNS Servers Lookup Result
example.com. NS ns1.exampledns.com.
example.com. NS ns2.exampledns.com.
These NS (Name Server) records indicate which servers are authoritative for your domain.
Understanding DNS Server Roles
Root Servers
Handle the first step in DNS resolution by directing queries to top-level domain (TLD) servers (e.g., .com, .org).
TLD (Top-Level Domain) Servers
Maintain information about authoritative name servers for each registered domain.
Authoritative Name Servers
Provide actual DNS record data for a specific domain, defining how it resolves globally.
Recursive Resolvers
Cache and resolve queries from end-users, ensuring faster responses and reduced global load.
Common DNS Server Issues
Slow Response or Timeouts
Occurs when servers are overloaded, geographically distant, or misconfigured.
Outdated DNS Records
Propagation delays or expired cache can cause users to access old records, leading to errors.
Misconfigured Name Servers
Incorrect settings can cause partial or total DNS failure, making your website unreachable.
DNS Spoofing or Hijacking
When attackers manipulate DNS responses to redirect your traffic to malicious sites, enable DNSSEC to prevent this.
Best Practices for DNS Server Configuration
Use Multiple Authoritative Servers
Always set up at least two geographically distributed authoritative servers for redundancy and reliability.
Enable DNSSEC for Security
Protect your domain against spoofing and cache poisoning by enabling DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC).
Optimize TTL Values
Set appropriate TTL (Time-to-Live) values based on how often you update your DNS records to balance performance and propagation time.
Monitor Uptime and Response Speed
Regularly test your DNS servers’ availability and latency to ensure consistent access for global users.
More Tools
Frequently Asked Questions About DNS Servers
Q1: What does a DNS Servers Lookup do?
It identifies which authoritative and recursive DNS servers are responsible for resolving your domain name and ensures they are correctly configured.
Q2: Why is my domain showing different name servers?
DNS changes may take up to 48 hours to propagate globally. During this time, you might see mixed results depending on your resolver’s cache.
Q3: How many DNS servers should a domain have?
Every domain should have at least two authoritative name servers located in different geographic regions for redundancy and reliability.
Q4: How can I fix DNS resolution errors?
Check your DNS settings at your registrar, verify authoritative records, and ensure servers are not blocked by firewalls or misconfigured.
Q5: What’s the difference between DNS Lookup and DNS Servers Lookup?
A DNS Lookup retrieves all DNS records for a domain, while a DNS Server Lookup focuses specifically on identifying the name servers responsible for resolving that domain.