Not fully understanding the nslookup command

[SpaceLiner350]

Hello! I have not posted in a while and I am now trying to fully understand the nslookup command.

Once more, I am trying to follow the instructions from my old textbook and attempting to answer the questions posed.

The parts of nslookup I am having trouble with are:

1. List addresses in the domain
2. List all records of the NDS server (Novell Directory Services)
3. Use finger to identify the default user at a host

For #1, I input ls -a cnn.com

My response is : Can't list domain cnn.com. No response from server. The DNS server refused to transfer the zone cnn.com to my computer.

Essentially, query refused. Why can't I get it to go through? One source says that this command will often generate 'query refused' results. Incidentally, I choose cnn.com arbitrarily.

For #2, I get the same response, essentially 'query refused'. Why, again won't it go through?

For #3, the finger command, one source tells me that this command is usually not available and I am finding that to be true. Why is it not available?

First of all, I am unsure just what and how to ask this command. Can someone tell me how to use this command?

The response I get from trying typing (at the command prompt): > finger cnn.com is: Finger: unknown service.

I get this everytime. How do I use this command? How do I get it to work?

That is all for now. Thanks and I await any replies.

 

[saint19]

Is a basic comand, whe you write nslookup google.com, the server reply to you with all the IP adress of the GOOGLE domain, the name, and the name and IP of your ISP.

Now if you write nslookup 64.233.169.99 (main adress of google domain), the server reply to you ONLY with the name of the server and the IP adress of this server. Also, with the name and IP of your ISP.

 

[Kewlx25]

You're probably getting errors because what you're trying to do is a security risk so they lock down their DNS responses.

 

[SpaceLiner350]

Thank you both for the replies.

Yes, I think I follow what you are saying about the basic command. But is that not one of the other commands that gets you that info you speak of? (Such as set all?)

Could the ls command (which is the one I am having trouble with) do the same as you speak of? I am having trouble getting the ls command to do anything (as well as the finger command). Have you any thoughts on the ls command and how to make it work?

It is possible that my errors could be coming from a locked down DNS. But I thought that these types of commands were diagnostic in nature to help in solving network problems-not malicious activity.

I am wondering now if the ls and finger commands may not be working for me because I am trying to work them from my home computer-not a network server computer.

Any thoughts on that? Thanks and I await your replies.

 

[saint19]

i'm not 100% sure, but the ls command is for Unix OS.

Now, some domains refuse this command for avoid the congestion of the channel and the load of their servers.

 

[SpaceLiner350]

Thanks for the reply. I'm guessing therefore, from what you said, that that may be the reason why the ls command won't work. Because some domains refuse this command.

Could this be the same reason for the finger command?

With that said, I am not sure that I will ever see how those commands would have worked.

Maybe someone out there can tell me (in easy to understand language) how those commands would have worked if someone has ever had any personal use of them.

Thanks.

 

[saint19]

This commands are used for the IT departments in many companys for test the internet connection and channel performance.

On www.google.com you can find many goods explanations about this commands and how this works.

 

[SpaceLiner350]

OK, thanks . I went to google the finger command and found some understandable info that helped me know more about it. I feel like that matter is solved. I am disappointed that I cannot put it to the test however due to security issues. I guess security denies knowledge.

As to the ls command, when I went to look about it and try out the examples on my computer, I still couldn't get the command to recognize anything.

My computer keeps saying "unrecognized command". I noticed that the examples used $ or % or even other signs in front of the ls command. Why? When I tried this approach, my computer says "is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file." I am used to trying to use ls after the nslookup > sign meaning I am in Interactive mode. But still it won't work for me.

The ls command explanations as to how it is supposed to work seem straight forward. However, my computer does not want to process this command. It will work for some of the other nslookup commands, I just don't understand why not this command. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

ls is a UNIX command which isn't on a Windows computer. dir is the equivalent of ls.

 

[SpaceLiner350]

Hi,

In my brief search for info about Dir, I did not find many examples to show the search results of its use and a brief use of it myself shows me some info.....but I am not sure if it shows me the same things that the ls command would show me.

When I searched for finger commands, I found Unix and Windows options. Do you mean to say that the ls command has no Windows options?

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/200525

 

[SpaceLiner350]

I looked at the www.microsoft.com site you referred me to and I am beginning to pick up an understanding of what is going on. I will not be able to get a response using either the finger or ls command if their DNS server has its security settings set to deny me access due to privacy concerns. Right?

I cannot change that as a personal computer home computer user. But what if I were a technician that needed access to this kinds of info in order to fix a network problem? That is more in line with the school course I took about networking and trying to understand these functions. How would I get this info? Would I have the "keys" to unlock their DNS server in order to work on it? How would that work?

One other question....when I try to use the ls command, the return I get says "check the zone transfer settings on the DNS server at my IP address". Does that mean that I might yet be able to access the info I seek by manipulating my DNS server settings? If so, how?

Thanks for all the replies. If anyone can answer these questions or not, I may be close to getting as far as I can get on this topic. Thanks.

 

[SpaceLiner350]

Hi,

There have been no further replies to my questions so I have gone about as far as I know how to about this subject. Thanks to all the replies. I still did not develop a full understanding of the many functions nslookup has.