Bind Help - NS Lookups timeout

[Darren Nay]

Hello All,
I have a question about DNS config. I've installed a new DNS server at a company that I just started at. I previously worked for a company that already had DNS using bind 8 & 9 and I became very familiar with those servers. I figured that I could get this server working without a problem, but I am "unfortunately" having some odd problems. 

I've setup the DNS server using bind 8 (I also tried bind 9 with the same problem). However, when doing an nslookup using the DNS server then I get timeouts on some domains, yet others work just fine.

For example:
> covad.net
Server: ns1.ionosphere.net
Address: 208.253.183.35

*** ns1.ionosphere.net can't find covad.net: Non-existent host/domain
> 

Yet this works:
> yahoo.com
Server: ns1.ionosphere.net
Address: 208.253.183.35

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: yahoo.com
Address: 66.218.71.198

It's very odd. Some domains will resolve, and others won't. There seems to be no ryme or reason to which ones will and which won't.

Here is a quick snipet of my named.conf file.

options {
#
# Config
#
directory "/etc/namedb";
pid-file "/var/run/named.pid"; //put file in working dir
allow-query { any; }; //default
recursion yes; //do provide recursive service
auth-nxdomain no; //yeah whatever
};

zone "." {
type hint;
file "named.root";
};

zone "localhost" {
type master;
file "named.local";
};

zone "0.0.127.IN-ADDR.ARPA" {
type master;
file "named.local.rev";
};

There is more, but I didn't want to post it all here. I just have a couple zones added at the end.
I have also downloaded the latest named.root file from ftp.internic.net which was date Jan 29th 2004.

I am stumped! Any ideas why some domains will resolve yet some won't on my DNS server?

Any help would be very much appreciated!! Thanks so much,

Darren Nay - dnay at libertyisp.com