Problems with Mail to erdoc.org

[Barry Finkel]

I have a problem sending mail to a domain

     erdoc.org

After lots of DNS queries, I think I have found the problem.
The .org servers 

     tld[12].ultradns.org

list the nameservers for erdoc.org as

     dns[12].firehousehosting.net

BUT the real nameservers for that domain are

     ns[12].firehousehosting.net     (without the initial "d")

What I can not understand is this - when I query

     dig erdoc.org MX

sometimes I get SERVFAIL:

     -----
     atalanta% dig erdoc.org mx
     
     ; <<>> DiG 8.3 <<>> erdoc.org mx
     ;; res options: init recurs defnam dnsrch
     ;; got answer:
     ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: SERVFAIL, id: 4
     ;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0
     ;; QUERY SECTION:
     ;;      erdoc.org, type = MX, class = IN
     
     ;; Total query time: 2066 msec
     ;; FROM: atalanta.ctd.anl.gov to SERVER: default -- 146.137.64.5
     ;; WHEN: Wed Mar 10 21:06:27 2004
     ;; MSG SIZE  sent: 27  rcvd: 27
     
     
     atalanta% 
     -----
     
and sometimes I get an answer:
     
     -----
     britaine% dig erdoc.org mx
     
     ; <<>> DiG 8.3 <<>> erdoc.org mx 
     ;; res options: init recurs defnam dnsrch
     ;; got answer:
     ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 4
     ;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 2, ADDITIONAL: 1
     ;; QUERY SECTION:
     ;;      erdoc.org, type = MX, class = IN
     
     ;; ANSWER SECTION:
     erdoc.org.              4H IN MX        0 erdoc.org.
     
     ;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
     erdoc.org.              4H IN NS        ns2.firehousehosting.net.
     erdoc.org.              4H IN NS        ns1.firehousehosting.net.
     
     ;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
     erdoc.org.              4H IN A         66.246.3.132
     
     ;; Total query time: 5142 msec
     ;; FROM: britaine.ctd.anl.gov to SERVER: default -- 146.139.254.5
     ;; WHEN: Thu Mar 11 07:22:34 2004
     ;; MSG SIZE  sent: 27  rcvd: 115
     
     britaine% 
     -----

I would have expected SERVFAIL each time.  Can someone explain what
is happening?  I sent mail to firehousehosting.net, and they said

     1) No other people are complaining about undeliverable mail to
        erdoc.org.

     2) They do not understand my request to change the glue record.

Therefore, they will not do anything.  Thanks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Barry S. Finkel
Computing and Instrumentation Solutions Division
Argonne National Laboratory          Phone:    +1 (630) 252-7277
9700 South Cass Avenue               Facsimile:+1 (630) 252-4601
Building 222, Room D209              Internet: BSFinkel at anl.gov
Argonne, IL   60439-4828             IBMMAIL:  I1004994