Gateway ip as dns?

[0roo0roo]

i screwed up once and put in the gateway ip as dns in the tcp/ip settings in windows xp. the connection still seemed to work. is there a downside to this?

 

[AnnonUSA]

If the gateway address is a router this will work fine as the router knows where the DNS should be pointed.

 

[spidey07]

Many SOHO routers will act as caching DNS servers - they accept DNS queries and then ask your ISPs name server, get an answer and then give the answer to you.

This is totally different than what an actual gateway address is, that address is the address of a router on your local network that sends/routes packets. Normally DNS and Gateways are totally different concepts and aren't in anyway related to each other, but SOHO "routers" do things a router doesn't and shouldn't do.

 

[JackMDS]

People get confused between the DNS for local LAN and the Internet.

A DNS for the Internet is provided by the ISP when you point to the Router's core IP as the DNS the Router knows to look for the the ISP DNS when it goes out.

 

[Nothinman]

A DNS for the Internet is provided by the ISP when you point to the Router's core IP as the DNS the Router knows to look for the the ISP DNS when it goes out.

As spidey said that only applies when using low-end SOHO routers, "real" routers know nothing about DNS and will just discard your packets.

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

A DNS for the Internet is provided by the ISP when you point to the Router's core IP as the DNS the Router knows to look for the the ISP DNS when it goes out.

As spidey said that only applies when using low-end SOHO routers, "real" routers know nothing about DNS and will just discard your packets.

And when you look at the OP it looks like the question pertains to "Real Router". 😉

 

[pugh]

Jack,
Do you mind if i ask you some questions about my network in PM? Did not want to assume and bother you untill you ok'd it. Want to send you a log of my router to help me figure out if I'm in trouble..

 

[Nothinman]

And when you look at the OP it looks like the question pertains to "Real Router".

No, but there's already enough confusion about what does what because of crap like this with low-end devices that it should be pointed out that these devices really shouldn't be doing that but manufacturers tack crap like this on for various reasons.

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

And when you look at the OP it looks like the question pertains to "Real Router".

No, but there's already enough confusion about what does what because of crap like this with low-end devices that it should be pointed out that these devices really shouldn't be doing that but manufacturers tack crap like this on for various reasons.

You are absolute Right. and it irks me a lot too.

However there is No point to confuse the millions of innocent users they do have DNS settings in their Entry Level Cable/DSL (so called ) Routers.

 

[Markbnj]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

And when you look at the OP it looks like the question pertains to "Real Router".

No, but there's already enough confusion about what does what because of crap like this with low-end devices that it should be pointed out that these devices really shouldn't be doing that but manufacturers tack crap like this on for various reasons.

I'm surprised it bothers you that much. Clearly these soho units are not just routers, but network gateway appliances... or something. I agree with you, btw. I run bind9 on a debian box for DNS on my home lan, and forward out to root servers. But most people won't/can't do that. Wouldn't you say there is some value in getting caching DNS services at the gateway, rather than sending all requests outside the LAN for resolution? This also allows the gateway to resolve names for internal LAN clients that register themselves (allegedly, though I haven't seen it work).

 

[Nothinman]

Wouldn't you say there is some value in getting caching DNS services at the gateway, rather than sending all requests outside the LAN for resolution?

By default Windows has it's own DNS cache so that value is pretty small.

 

[Markbnj]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Wouldn't you say there is some value in getting caching DNS services at the gateway, rather than sending all requests outside the LAN for resolution?

By default Windows has it's own DNS cache so that value is pretty small.

True. Actually, the primary reason I installed a local DNS was to get dependable name resolution for LAN clients. I was tired of Windows deciding whether I could see my wife's machine, or the kids', depending on how long the machine was running or some other mysterious metric. I could have done it with the hosts file on each system, but I liked the central solution better. If the DNS registration and resolution worked reliably for clients that would be one good reason for the gateway to handle soho DNS resolution, but as I said before I haven't experienced it. So even my relatively new DIR-655 is performing no DNS services at all right now, unless the debian machine is down.