Bind Help - Lookup Timeouts

[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