The dig Command

  • Purpose: Tests DNS server functionality and performs DNS queries.
  • Use case: Determine if a DNS server can resolve a hostname to an IP address.

Basic Usage : dig example.com

alt text * Indicates the DNS server resolved example.com to 192.168.1.2.

Example Output Sections:

Section Description
QUESTION SECTION The domain and query type (e.g., A record)
ANSWER SECTION IP address or requested information returned by the DNS server
AUTHORITY SECTION DNS server authority for the domain
SERVER DNS server used for the query
QUERY TIME Time taken to get the response

Error Example

dig sample.com
  • If the DNS server cannot resolve the name: alt text

dig is a powerful tool for troubleshooting DNS issues and verifying server responses.