Question about "@" (at sign) in host names

[O'Neil,Kevin]

I searched the archives for this particular question but found none.

We have just converted from pre-4.9 to 8.2.1 BIND.  We have some host names
(routers) in our private frame relay network with the "@" sign in them.  I
know the "@" is illegal (as well as "_", etc.) but there it is.  I may not
be able to get those changed anytime soon.  Pre-4.9 handled the "@" but
8.2.1 seems to escape it to "\@".  There're no warning messages in the log
as a result of bind's load of the db files.

I've got these settings in the named.conf file options paragraph dealing
with names:

        check-names master ignore; 
        check-names slave warn;
        check-names response ignore; 


Here's an excerpt from the db file:

WL at A-Router     in      a       10.2.0.11
WL at A-R  in      cname   WL at A-Router.remote.dedip.oclc.org.
WL at -Router      in      a       10.2.0.11
WL at -R   in      cname   WL at -Router.remote.dedip.oclc.org.


And here's an excerpt of the named_dump.db file:

$ORIGIN 0.2.10.in-addr.arpa.
4       900     IN      PTR     NBUA-Router.remote.dedip.oclc.org.
;Cl=3
        900     IN      PTR     NBU-Router.remote.dedip.oclc.org.
;Cl=3
11      900     IN      PTR     WL\@A-Router.remote.dedip.oclc.org.
;Cl=3
        900     IN      PTR     WL\@-Router.remote.dedip.oclc.org.
;Cl=3
5       900     IN      PTR     IMDA-Router.remote.dedip.oclc.org.
;Cl=3
        900     IN      PTR     IMD-Router.remote.dedip.oclc.org.
;Cl=3


Lookups of wl at a-router.remote.dedip.oclc.org will fail now:

willow 43 /etc/named: telnet WL at A-Router.remote.dedip.oclc.org
WL at A-Router.remote.dedip.oclc.org: Unknown server error

with the querylog containing:

29-Oct-1999 18:45:52.614 queries: 
info: XX+/132.174.12.142/WL\@ARouter.remote.dedip.oclc.org/A

So, my question is, is there a workaround to allow the "@" to work until I'm
able to get the name changed to not contain the "@"?

Thanks...

...Kevin O'Neil
oneil at oclc.org