newbie needs help re: SBC - DNS record

[Sami Kerola]

09.09.2005 17:19, Japhy <japhyrider2005 at yahoo.com>:

> I am setting up a network for a friend of mine who is starting a 
> small business. They have a dsl line installed by SBC, and 
> received 5 public IP addresses. They have registered a domain 
> name with network solutions and want to host the web server 
> themselves behind firewall I am setting up.

By they you mean your friend who has five IP addresses registered 
domain name and web server. Right?

> I am trying to get SBC to set up a DNS record pointing their 
> domain name to 1 of these IP addresses, but everyone at SBC acts 
> like I am speaking Greek.  *****Isn't this a service that an 
> ISP, like SBC, would provide? *****

On which DNS servers domain was registered? Mayby the domain is 
hosted at elsewhere than SBC and that's why SBC acts like it acts. 
They (SBC) simply cannot make change on A record that you asked, 
you need to ask it where ever you registered the domain.

> I think I just must be talking to the wrong people, but I've 
> spoken to 5 and am getting nowhere.  I am simply asking them if 
> they can set up a DNS record (PTR?) to point the domain name to 
> the IP.

Web server does not require PTR record, but if you really want it 
you can ask it from ISP. Some ISPs are more willing than others to 
set up PTRs that clients want.

> Obviously, I'm no DNS expert, and I don't want to set up a DNS 
> server to broadcast.

I don't understand how any service can be set up to broadcast.

> What terminology do I need to use with these people?  Or am I 
> wrong in assuming they would do it, if my client is hosting 
> their own server?  What are my options, then, other than setting 
> up my own DNS server?

Depending on ISP setting up own DNS server does not solve PTR 
problem. In order to use PTR records you need either reverse 
delegation or ISP needs to make classless delegation. Because your 
friend has only 5 addresses and not whole c-class they will not 
get reverse delegation from ISP. Classless delegation is your only 
hope to get names how you want them, but it's ISP depending how 
willing they are to make classless delegations.

I suggest you to be practical: do not care about PTRs as long they 
exist and use A records as you like.

-- 
    Sami Kerola
    http://personal.inet.fi/atk/kerolasa/