Reverse DNS primer [Was: Re: Novice Question about reverse DNS]

[J!M]

Hello,

Last week, I posted a message to this list via Deja (not knowing it 
was a mailing list) in which I began by dissing the Bible (DNS & 
BIND) out of my frustration for not yet understanding this 
completely. The next version of the book could contain a wider 
variety of examples. I received some good advice from my post 
despite the fact that my example was obscure and contained many 
syntax errors not in my actual .conf and db. files. Thanks.

Anyway, I have reread D&B with my highlighter and annotated 
many sections. I have scoured newsgroups and subscribed to this 
list. My DNS is now functioning (partially). I believe that I am having 
some reverse DNS problems still. I can nslookup my domains fine, 
and get apparently useful responses. I can even web browse to 
them from my local network, if I try to browse from a dial up 
through a different ISP from my own, the DNS rexolves the name 
and begins to search for the website on the IP address.... and just 
hangs until I get a server not found error.

> NOW, if your network does not break at an octet boundary, you must look
> at RFC 2317, which has a trick to create a subnetwork that includes your
> network name and bitsize, and then have your hosts' IP addresses be
> names off that network.  You can use the trick detailed in RFC 2317 or
> one like it.  Believe me, it works.  But you need the co-operation of
> the owner of your parent network.
> 
This seems to be the key to my problem, I have 12 IPs assigned to 
my network (64.32.42.141-253) my nameserver is at 64.32.42.252 - 
ns1.dynamisys-llc.com. I have carefully read RFC 2317, and 
understand that my ISP needs CNAME records in their db.in-
addr.arpa. file, but I'm not exactly sure how they should read:

141   CNAME   141.141/??.42.32.64.in-addr.arpa.
142   CNAME   142.141/??.42.32.64.in-addr.arpa.
...
I'm guessing that the number represented by the ?? has something 
to do with the bitsize of the network, and/or how it has been 
divided. This was not clear to me from RFC 2317.

I also assume that my in-addr.arpa. file needs to be named to 
correspond with those CNAME records in order for this to be 
properly resolved. Should it be named db.141/xx.42.32.64 ?
The contents of the file seem pretty straightforward as long as I use 
the $ORIGIN 141/xx.42.32.64.in-addr.arpa. Yes?

The two web domains I have established (and working locally) are 
www.dynamisys-llc.com and www.ritafoundation.org -- they both 
resolve to IP 64.32.42.253 and are set up as Virtual Domains under 
Apache 1.3.12.

Any assistance in getting this configuration to function properly is 
greatly appreciated. My head hurts from banging it against the wall 
for so long. ;-(
Thanks,
J!M