How to Run a DNS Test Against the Server

The nslookup utility provides you with the ability to test Domain Name Services, or DNS, servers. DNS servers convert friendly domain names to IP addresses, which is how your Web browser locates and displays websites. You can run the nslookup tool on any Windows computer to test your DNS servers. The tool runs in MS-DOS, which is included with each version of Windows.

Instructions

1. Click the Windows "Start" button and type "cmd" in the Search text box. Press "Enter" to open the command prompt.

2. Type the following text in the command line:

   nslookup computername

   Replace "computername" with a domain on the Internet or a computer name on your network.

3. Press "Enter" to execute the command. The command tests that the DNS server is able to translate the name you entered into an IP address. The message returned is the IP address of the computer name or domain name.

References

• Microsoft Support; Using NSlookup.exe; July 2010