MECnet DNS

Q: What is the DNS?
A: DNS stands for the Domain Name Service. It is a set of software and protocols that translate a domain name like www.company.com into an IP address such as 192.168.0.1 . A request for such a translation is called a DNS query. Web browsers like Netscape and Internet Explorer generate queries whenever they browse addresses like http://www.company.com.
Q: What are your Primary and Secondary name servers?
A: MECnet actually has two name servers

Primary name server domain:        freud.mec.edu
Primary name server IP:                216.20.63.145
Secondary name server domain: darwin.mec.edu
Secondary name server IP:           216.20.63.147
Q: Who bills me for registering my domain name?
A: MECnet will bill you directly for the use of your domain name if you have used our registering services.
Q: Why is a reverse DNS required?
A: A reverse lookup is often referred to as reverse resolving, or more specifically reverse DNS lookup, and is accomplished using a "reverse IN-ADDR entry" in the form of a PTR record.

The most common uses of the reverse DNS are:
- The original use of the rDNS was primarily for network troubleshooting tools, such as traceroute, ping, and the "Received:" trace header field for SMTP e-mail, web sites tracking users (especially on Internet forums), etc.
- One e-mail anti-spam technique is to check the domain names in the rDNS to see if they are likely from dialup users, dynamically assigned addresses, or home-based broadband customers. Since the vast majority, but by no means all, of e-mail that originates from these computers is spam, many mail servers also refuse e-mail with missing or "generic" rDNS names
Q: How can I achieve Minimum Downtime when transferring a domain from a previous hosting provider to MECnet?
A: When transferring a domain from a previous provider to MECnet, you will want to minimize the downtime as much as possible. You may follow the steps below to ensure this. Setup the directories on MEC’s Name Servers by sending us a copy of your Zone file. Request the transfer of the DNS with the Registry company.

When the DNS has completed transferring, the MEC server will begin to respond to web requests as the DNS propagates, with minimum downtime to your site.