5 Indispensable DNS Tools

1. Traceroute – With this quick tool, you can trace the network path from your server to any destination, including your house. If you ever have connection problems with your website or server, this tool may give you clues.

2. IP Whois – Find out what a website’s true IP address is, where it originates, who owns it, and more.

3. Reverse DNS - Test reverse DNS to make sure your server is setup correctly according to Internet protocols.

4. SPAM DB Lookup – Is your website or server on the spam list? This tool will tell you if you need to do some housecleaning or beefing up of security.

5. DNS Lookup – Make sure all of your DNS records (A, CNAME, MX, and more) are setup correctly.

There are websites that have all of these tools available either for free or for small fees. You can also perform many of them from the Linux command line, if that is available to you.

Common extra dedicated server features

An unmanaged dedicated server is almost like a bare-bones computer. While you get all of the essentials required to call it a server, there are many features that you will want to add. Some of them are free and/or open source, while some require purchase or even subscription services. It is important to know this before getting a dedicated server, thinking that you are getting a complete product.

A good web host will list some of their extra available features, including prices. Here is a brief list of options you might want:

• cPanel or other control panel
• SSL certificates
• Additional IP addresses
• Load balancing for two or more servers
• Anti-virus protection for mail servers
• Routine backup storage
• Additional RAM
• Additional hard drive
• Windows Server 2008
• KVM over IP
• Additional badwidth/data transfer

For prices check your web host’s website.

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons

How many IPs does a server need?

One critical feature of a dedicated server is the number of IPs allocated to it. A forum user asked today:

How many ip addresses do i need to start my web server 2 for dns and then 1 for domain ? i use cpanel ?

Believe it or not, it is possible to run a web server with just a single IP. However, two IP addresses are necessary to properly set up the DNS servers– one for the primary and another for the secondary.

It is also a good idea to have a third IP for the control panel or SSL. So you are best off with a dedicated host that provides at least two IPs per server, but having more is preferable.

Do I Need a Dedicated IP?

Every site uses an IP address, such as 68.812.23.1. If you use shared hosting, your site runs on the same server as hundreds of other websites, meaning that several sites share one IP address. This helps web hosts conserve the limited number of IPs they have. For a small fee per month, many providers will give you your own IP address, or dedicated IP. This provides no direct performance benefits, but can be useful to have.

SSL requires a dedicated IP, for example. If you run an ecommerce website, a unique IP is an investment to look into.

Some also choose to purchase dedicated IPs for SEO purposes. Google associates each website with an IP address and with several hundred sites hosted on one IP, some are concerned that inappropriate content on one of the sites might negatively impact their website. Google will penalize sites for activities like spamming and phishing, and if someone else on your server is doing these things, there is a risk the penalty might apply to the IP and hurt you, too. Some also speculate that the Google algorithm favors sites on dedicated IPs in search results out-and-out.
Read More >>

EU calls on Obama to give up Internet oversight

The European Union has called on U.S. President Barack Obama to turn over U.S. oversight of the Internet to a larger body of nations. Currently, governance and security of the Internet rests solely with the non-profit organisation Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers or ICANN.

The EU Commissioner, Viviane Reding’s proposal would release control of ICANN from the U.S. Commerce Department to a 12-nation committee.

“I trust that President Obama will have the courage, the wisdom and the respect for the global nature of the Internet to pave the way in September for a new, more accountable, more transparent, more democratic and more multilateral form of Internet governance,” Reding said.

“It is not defendable that the government department of only one country has oversight of an internet function which is used by hundreds of millions of people in countries all over the world,” she said in a video message on her Web site.

The Bush administration resisted efforts to hand ICANN oversight to a United Nations agency.

Source: MSNBC
Photo: Flickr