Verifying Your Domain’s Glue Records with dig

When managing domain name servers, ensuring that your glue records are correctly configured is crucial for proper DNS resolution. This guide will walk you through the steps to check your domain NS glue records using the dig command. This procedure is applicable for both .com and .eu domains.

Step 1: Find the Parent Zone Name Servers

For a .com domain, you can use the following command to find the name servers:

dig +short com. NS

This should return a list of name servers like:

k.gtld-servers.net.
b.gtld-servers.net.
c.gtld-servers.net.
d.gtld-servers.net.
l.gtld-servers.net.
e.gtld-servers.net.
f.gtld-servers.net.
j.gtld-servers.net.
m.gtld-servers.net.
h.gtld-servers.net.
i.gtld-servers.net.
a.gtld-servers.net.
g.gtld-servers.net.

For a .eu domain, the command is similar:

dig +short eu. NS

This should return a list of name servers like:

be.dns.eu.
x.dns.eu.
w.dns.eu.
y.dns.eu.
si.dns.eu.

Step 2: Query the Parent Zone Name Servers

Next, use one of the name servers obtained in the previous step to query for the NS records of your domain. Replace example.com with your actual domain name:

dig +norec @a.gtld-servers.net. example.com. NS

For a .eu domain, you would query the appropriate root servers:

dig +norec @x.dns.eu. example.eu. NS

Step 3: Check the Additional Section

In the response, look for the “ADDITIONAL SECTION.” This section will contain the glue records if they are correctly configured. Glue records are necessary to avoid circular dependencies and ensure that the DNS resolution process is efficient.

Step 4: Using dig +trace

Another method to verify glue records is by using the dig +trace command. This command traces the entire path from the root servers to your domain, including the additional section:

dig +trace +additional example.com

For a .eu domain, the command remains the same:

dig +trace +additional example.eu

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can verify that your domain’s NS glue records are correctly set up. This ensures that your domain resolves efficiently and avoids potential DNS issues. This procedure is useful for both personal reference and for helping others who might encounter similar issues.