Which are the popular DNS record types?
There are a lot of different DNS record types. Yet, some of them are more well-known. That is because they are more commonly implemented in DNS (Domain Name System) configurations. So, let’s explain a little bit more about the most popular DNS record types:
NS record
For this record, NS stands for Name Server. Its main goal is to indicate the Authoritative DNS server for a domain name. The NS record is also one of the crucial DNS record types for achieving proper DNS configuration.
A record
This fundamental DNS record is also known as Address record. Its purpose is especially important for every domain. The A record is responsible for pointing a domain name to its IP address, more precisely IPv4 address.
AAAA record
You could find this record called also quad A record. It is very similar to the previous one. They both link domain names to their corresponding IP addresses. However, the main difference is that the AAAA record is only used for the newer IPv6 addresses.
SOA record
The acronym SOA stands for Start of Authority. This is the first DNS record that you should add to your DNS zone. It stores important data about the DNS administrator and also crucial information about zone transfers.
MX record
The Mail eXchanger record, or shortly MX record, is another vital piece of your configuration. Its purpose is to indicate the name server responsible for receiving email messages for your domain name. If you do not have such a record available, you are going to experience difficulties in receiving emails.
PTR record
You can find this record, also called Pointer record. It has the valuable aim to point an IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) to its corresponding domain name. It serves for Reverse DNS lookup and validating that the precise IP address actually belongs to that domain name.
CNAME record
This DNS record links one domain name to another. The CNAME record shows the actual canonical domain name. Therefore, it is very useful and beneficial to use it for your subdomains.
How to check your DNS record types through your Linux device?
There are a lot of different ways to check and see your DNS records. However, as a Linux user, you have some outstanding options to achieve this task. Here are some great commands that you can write straight into your Terminal application.
Nslookup command
The Nslookup command is simple and easy to use. For the purpose to see all of the available DNS records for your domain, type the following:
$ nslookup -type=any example.com
*Make sure to replace example.com with the domain name you want. You could also change “any” with the specific DNS record type you want to see.
Dig command
The Dig command is another option for you to check and see different DNS record types. It provides detailed information.
Simply use the following pattern:
dig example.com DNS record type
*Make sure to replace example.com with the domain name you want and DNS record type with the one you want.
Host command
The Host command is another easy-to-use tool with a command-line interface (CLI). When you want to see a complete list with all of the DNS records for a domain and their TTL (Time-to-live) values, type the following:
host -a example.com
As a result, you are going to witness records such as A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, with their TTL values.
*Make sure to replace example.com with the domain name you want.
