Problem resolving domains on our name servers

[support_JMontgomery]

There appears to be a problem resolving .com.au domain names from most of Australia (through BigPond and iiNET so far). I have had one client say that they switched to a different DNS service and that fixed the problem for them. I do not have the details for which DNS service will work at the moment, if anybody has this information, please post it here.

The problem as far as we can tell is only affecting .com.au domains that are pointed at our dotauserver.com name servers. As I said earlier, the problem is only for clients in Australia. We have tested from several locations in the U.S. and everything is working fine over here. There is likely a problem with a central DNS service or route that most of the ISP's are going through to reach our dotauserver.com name servers.

[homechannel]

(through BigPond and iiNET so far)

Hi JJ and fellow Dotable customers. Telstra tech support level 3, the proper tech support out of Australia, have confirmed it is an issue with BigPond's DNS.

It would be interesting to know whether those of you having a problem with iiNet are using iiNet's network, or the Telstra product that iiNet still resells in some areas.

(I have had one client say that they switched to a different DNS service and that fixed the problem for them.)

Use any DNS service other than BigPond. I can confirm that these OpenDNS settings work for us:

Preferred DNS: 208.67.222.222
Alt DNS: 208.67.220.220

Note - depending on the hardware (modem/router) that BigPond supplied to you, you may not be able to over-ride DNS settings in the router itself. In that case, you will need to Set these DNS settings on each PC (via Control Panel / Network / etc).

Also note - changing your DNS settings will allow you to see your site and collect your mail. It won't do anything for your customers who use BigPond - they will still be unable to see your site (unless they also change their DNS settings). So just be aware of that and make your frontline staff aware that customers may call in.

Lastly, I'm told that Telstra L3 techs are "working on it". I'll post back here if/when I hear back from them.

Take care,

Jarrod

[Nikki]

Hi Jarrod (or anyone else who has fixed this problem)

Do you have any update from Telstra? I cannot get any help from their phone or email customer service.

Help?

Thanks
Nikki

[homechannel]

Hi Nikki,

Don't waste your time with their level one tech support. Ever.

I can tell you it's still not working, but you probably already knew that. I'm on the phone with their Aussie techos again now. Could be a late night. We're dancing around in circles, and I'm listening to a lot of hold music. I'll post an update when this call finally ends. Hang in there.

Jarrod

[homechannel]

Okay folks,

I just got off the phone with Telstra.

This has apparently been escalated to the 'Networks Team'. They are the super geeks who work in a fortress made of comic books and don't take phone calls from the public.

All we're allowed to know at this stage is that they have looked into it, are looking into it, or will look into it. I was told I 'definitely should get a call from them' (certainly possibly maybe), but nobody could tell me when that call might be. I was also told there is no further point of escalation.

So let's do this:

The Telstra BigPond business phone number is 132-999. At the IVR, press options 1, 1 and 1 (you have to wait until you hear all the options before you key in).

When a human answers, give her/him ticket number INC000002039189. Ask for an update. Point out that your customers who use BigPond are unable to see your web site, and it's costing you business.

DO NOT let them fob you off and tell you that your site is working. The PCs on their desks use different DNS servers. If they tell you your site works, make them test it on their test bench machines using BigPond DNS servers.

While you're at it, maybe ask to speak to a consultant named Ashley. His employee number is D330330. His customer service skills leave much to be desired, but my hope is that if several of us call in and moan on to him about the same problem, it might motivate him.

DOTABLE TECH STAFF - it would be great if one of you could also call Telstra BigPond and ask them for an update. Don't be afraid to call them several times. Their response time on this has been appalling. They have acknowledged the problem, but are doing little to resolve it.

That's enough computers for me for now. I have new power tools to play with.

Good luck all.

Jarrod

[Support DSmith]

Jarrod,

Thanks for working on this. We'll have someone give Telstra a call or three and check for updates on that ticket number. If we get any more results, we'll update here.

Derek

[support_JMontgomery]

I just gave Telstra BigPond a call at the number you provided, Jarrod. Apparently the first guy I talked to (after pressing the options 1, 1, then 1) was not in the right department, so he transferred me to Ashley's department (who was not in at the moment). The technician I got then took the ticket number and put me on hold for a few minutes, then came back and said that this ticket had been assigned to somebody and that person will call us back when it is resolved. The name and employee ID he gave me were:

Carl Roemke (sounds like ROM-KEY)
D295 107

None of the people I talked to could give me any details about the issue, and I was on the phone for about 30 minutes.

[homechannel]

Thanks for calling them, JJ. They are absolutely hopeless.

Please everyone - keep calling them, quoting the ticket number, and asking for updates.

[homechannel]

TELSTRA BIGPOND NOT TO BLAME, by Telstra BigPond

The highly anticipated companion to their all time best seller WE'RE NEVER TO BLAME.

I called BigPond again today and managed to get a team leader to dig up this report. An investigation was apparently completed yesterday, by their Network team. Nobody had bothered to call me, because they thought we might all like to wait a few extra days.

Here is the outcome of the investigation (please note Optus is another large Aussie ISP):

***Bigpond DNS analysis - Appears external***

***Customer needs to check their DNS delegation, and why we are sent to a DNS server that does not want to talk to us, and why Optus is sent to a DNS server that works.***

***Optus is being issued with different name servers. Nothing we can do with this. Customer has to deal with their service provider, and get them to fix whatever it is that is sending us to a server that will not respond. The name server we are sent to does not talk to us. ***

Basically, they're saying that they're being sent to ns1 and ns2.dotauserver.com and that this is probably in error. To my knowledge, it is not in error. This is where they should be sent to resolve the names. The problem is, as I advised them originally, that their DNS cannot resolve dotauserver.com.

Full report below. PLEASE NOTE the massie.com.au domain referred to in the report is simply one of our domains that we gave them as an example, for their testing.

JJ OR OTHER DOTABLE TECHS - PLEASE RESPOND HERE AND ALSO FOLLOW UP WITH TELSTRA BIGPOND.

Thanks,

Jarrod

Bigpond DNS analysis - Appears external
When we (BigPond DNS) performed a query for this domain, we are informed that the nameserver that is authorative is
massie.com.au. 14400 IN NS ns2.dotauserver.com.
massie.com.au. 14400 IN NS ns1.dotauserver.com.
;; Received 86 bytes from 156.154.102.18#53(udns3.ausregistry.net.au) in 158 ms

When I use Optus name server, the get returned to name servers
massie.com.au. 86186 IN NS ns29.dotcolo.com.
massie.com.au. 86186 IN NS ns30.dotcolo.com.

Customer needs to check their DNS delegation, and why we are sent to a DNS server that does not want to talk to us, and why Optus is sent to a DNS server that works.

Technical details follows:
=================

When I query ns1 and ns2, I get no answer.
cXXXXXX@viwincdns11$ dig @ns1.dotcolo.com massie.com.au

; <<>> DiG 9.3.4-P1 <<>> @ns1.dotcolo.com massie.com.au
; (1 server found)
;; global options: printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 101
;; flags: qr rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 13, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;massie.com.au. IN A

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
. 518400 IN NS L.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS M.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS B.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS C.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS D.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS E.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS F.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS G.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS H.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS I.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS J.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS K.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.

;; Query time: 196 msec
;; SERVER: 67.228.77.21#53(67.228.77.21)
;; WHEN: Fri Mar 12 13:46:57 2010
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 242

cXXXXXX@viwincdns11$ dig @ns2.dotcolo.com massie.com.au

; <<>> DiG 9.3.4-P1 <<>> @ns2.dotcolo.com massie.com.au
; (1 server found)
;; global options: printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 1065
;; flags: qr rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 13, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;massie.com.au. IN A

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
. 518400 IN NS E.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS F.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS G.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS H.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS I.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS J.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS K.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS L.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS M.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS B.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS C.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 518400 IN NS D.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.

;; Query time: 198 msec
;; SERVER: 69.4.236.120#53(69.4.236.120)
;; WHEN: Fri Mar 12 13:47:03 2010
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 242


When I query the Name servers that are issued to Optus, I do get an answer.
cXXXXXX@viwincdns11$ dig @ns29.dotcolo.com massie.com.au

; <<>> DiG 9.3.4-P1 <<>> @ns29.dotcolo.com massie.com.au
; (1 server found)
;; global options: printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 994
;; flags: qr aa rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 2, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;massie.com.au. IN A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
massie.com.au. 14400 IN A 122.201.77.226

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
massie.com.au. 86400 IN NS ns29.dotcolo.com.
massie.com.au. 86400 IN NS ns30.dotcolo.com.

;; Query time: 28 msec
;; SERVER: 122.201.77.227#53(122.201.77.227)
;; WHEN: Fri Mar 12 13:47:10 2010
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 96


So the question becomes, why is BigPond being sent to a DNS server that doesn?t work and Optus to a DNS server that does work????


Lets see where the .com.au name servers say. maybe they are out of sync, and it depends which .com.au I hit.
com.au. 259200 IN NS dns1.telstra.net.
com.au. 259200 IN NS au2ld.CSIRO.au.
com.au. 259200 IN NS audns.optus.net.
com.au. 259200 IN NS udns1.ausregistry.net.au.
com.au. 259200 IN NS udns2.ausregistry.net.au.
com.au. 259200 IN NS udns3.ausregistry.net.au.
com.au. 259200 IN NS udns4.ausregistry.net.au.
com.au. 259200 IN NS ns1.audns.net.au.
com.au. 259200 IN NS ns1.ausregistry.net.au.
com.au. 259200 IN NS ns2.ausregistry.net.au.
com.au. 259200 IN NS ns3.melbourneit.com.


Every single one points me to
;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
massie.com.au. 14400 IN NS ns1.dotauserver.com.
massie.com.au. 14400 IN NS ns2.dotauserver.com.

Optus is being issued with different name servers. Nothing we can do with this. Customer has to deal with their service provider, and get them to fix whatever it is that is sending us to a server that will not respond. The name server we are sent to does not talk to us. Our nameserver addresses if it helps.
61.9.133.200
61.9.134.56
61.9.134.72
61.9.188.40
61.9.194.56
61.9.195.193
61.9.207.6
61.9.211.6
61.9.211.40
61.9.226.6
61.9.226.40
61.9.242.6
61.9.242.40

For what it is worth, when I use web based DNS eg:
network-tools.com
www.dnswatch.info
www.zoneedit.com
They all fail to resolve as well, supporting my belief this is external to BigPond.

[Support DSmith]

Thanks for the update Jarrod. We'll check this out and update as soon as possible.