a.root-servers.net can't handle the load.

[chris]

    Does anyone know what's wrong with a.root-servers.net. Consistently
I can't get it to answer queries. I usually just use b.root-servers.net
because it is geographically closer to me then any other server, but I
have noticed that about 75% of the time when I attempt to query
a.root-servers.net it can't answer. It's not a network connectivity
issue.

- Chris

> server a.root-servers.net
Default Server:  a.root-servers.net
Address:  198.41.0.4

> anydomain.org.
Server:  a.root-servers.net
Address:  198.41.0.4

*** a.root-servers.net can't find anydomain.org.: No response from
server
> server b.root-servers.net
*** Can't find address for server b.root-servers.net: No response from
server
> sa1:/var/named/db# ping a.root-servers.net
PING a.root-servers.net (198.41.0.4): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=0 ttl=246 time=70.2 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=1 ttl=246 time=66.7 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=2 ttl=246 time=75.7 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=3 ttl=246 time=66.6 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=4 ttl=246 time=78.4 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=5 ttl=246 time=70.1 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=6 ttl=246 time=66.8 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=7 ttl=246 time=69.4 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=8 ttl=246 time=67.0 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=9 ttl=246 time=65.4 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=10 ttl=246 time=67.2 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=11 ttl=246 time=68.4 ms

--- a.root-servers.net ping statistics ---
12 packets transmitted, 12 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 65.4/69.3/78.4 ms

sa1:/var/named/db# dig @a.root-servers.net anydomain.org.

; <<>> DiG 8.2 <<>> @a.root-servers.net anydomain.org.
; (1 server found)
;; res options: init recurs defnam dnsrch
;; res_nsend[signed] to server a.root-servers.net  198.41.0.4:
Connection timed out
sa1:/var/named/db# ping a.root-servers.net
PING a.root-servers.net (198.41.0.4): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=0 ttl=246 time=65.4 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=1 ttl=246 time=64.9 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=2 ttl=246 time=66.7 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=3 ttl=246 time=65.6 ms
64 bytes from 198.41.0.4: icmp_seq=4 ttl=246 time=65.7 ms

--- a.root-servers.net ping statistics ---
5 packets transmitted, 5 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 64.9/65.6/66.7 ms
sa1:/var/named/db# dig @a.root-servers.net b.root-servers.net

; <<>> DiG 8.2 <<>> @a.root-servers.net b.root-servers.net
; (1 server found)
;; res options: init recurs defnam dnsrch
;; res_nsend[signed] to server a.root-servers.net  198.41.0.4:
Connection timed out
sa1:/var/named/db# date
Tue Dec 14 12:08:19 PST 1999