Developer Forum

I have a primary zone that only has one host.

How would I set up the zone so any query to the zone always returns the same
address?

For instance: bogushost.domain.com will return a specified ip address even
though a host/cname record is not created for bogushost ...

TIA

Charles

CB> [...] the wildcarding only works for MX records.

False. Wildcards work for all resource record types.

CB> [...] whenever I try to create a host or cname record with
CB> the wildcard *, it says an illegal character has been entered.

This is a deficiency of the user interface that was introduced with Windows NT
2000, and it applies only to that particular user interface. Wildcard "A"
resource records can be created with DNSCMD or by editing the "zone" file
manually.

Yeh ... I found this too, but the wildcarding only works for MX records.

I need to wildcard host records as well. I am running a 2000 domain and
whenever I try to create a host or cname record with the wildcard *, it says
an illegal character has been entered. I need any query against the zone to
reply with the same address.

Anyone else have any ideas to wildcard an entire zone? Is this even
possible in MS DNS?

TIA

Charles




<URL: http://www.yqcomputer.com/
/entserver/sag_DNS_imp_NameAndZoneDataChecking.asp>

I have been able to configure wildcards for A records, but not CNAME.
I use the DNSCMD utility. I can email it to you if you want it.

Anyone know why I can do a wildcard for an A but not a CNAME?

TR> Anyone know why I can do a wildcard for an A but not a CNAME?

Yes.

TR> I have been able to configure wildcards for A records,
TR> but not CNAME.

Good. There's no good reason for doing that. It should be discouraged by
being made difficult. Wildcards are (a particular specialised form of)
server-side aliases. "CNAME" resource records are client-side aliases. It is
preferable to use server-side aliases (if one's DNS server software supports
them) instead of client-side aliases. (Client-side aliases generate extra
traffic and at least one author of DNS server softwares strongly discourages
their use.) There's certainly no good reason to use client-side aliases _as
well as_ server-side aliases, as would be the case with a wildcard "CNAME"
resource record.

It's also worth noting that the algorithm in section 4.3.2 of RFC 1034
produces incorrect responses if the DNS database contains wildcard "CNAME"
resource records.