Windows server change dns server

In this post, we will introduce DNS server, its working process, and then move on to the DNS server setup and zone creation phase on Windows 2022.

The DNS server is the most important because you would be unable to find any website without it. It is a globally distributed service organized in a hierarchy, with each section denoting a subdivision.

Let’s get started with this blog post about Windows DNS Server Setup and Configuration on Windows 2022.

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What is DNS Server?

DNS servers are quite similar to phonebooks and are crucial part of the Internet. What DNS servers do is they help convert website names into IP addresses so that machines can understand the query and load the requested pages for usersAs a result, users will find it easier and faster to access them online.

The domain name system (DNS) can be summed up as a naming database that stores data about domain names and the IP addresses that correspond to them. It also translates human readable domain names into the IP addresses that correspond to them, IPv4 or IPv6, which are difficult for people to remember and type out.

When a user types a domain name into a browser, it sends a request to the DNS server for its corresponding IP address (usually an IPv4 address). The DNS server then searches its database for the requested domain name, finds it, and returns its corresponding IP address to the browser, which uses this information to connect with the website.

A DNS server is a type of name server that responds to queries from other computers, such as web browsers and email clients. It is a hierarchical naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network that associates various information with domain names assigned to each participating entity.

DNS servers are classified into four types: recursive servers, root name servers, TLD servers, and authoritative name servers.

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What Is the Function of a DNS Server?

DNS basically converts domain names into IP addresses that computers can read, understand, and use. When a user types a query or domain into a browser, the DNS service translates the user type into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses that the machine can understand.

In exchange, the machine locates and delivers the requested webpage; this entire process of translating and discovering the requested data is known as DNS resolution.

DNS Resolution Process

The DNS resolution process includes the following steps:

• The user enters his or her query or a domain name into the browser.

• The recursive DNS query or message is forwarded to the network by the Browser in order to determine the corresponding IP address.

• The query is then forwarded to an ISP-managed recursive DNS server, which looks for the page and loads it for the user once it receives the address.

• If the recursive DNS server cannot find the correct answer to the user’s query, it will query other servers, beginning with the DNS root name servers, then moving on to top level domain (TLD) name servers, and finally authoritative name servers.

• These servers collaborate and redirect until they find a DNS record that contains the correct answer to the requested query.

• The recursive server also caches the information for future use, ensuring that the next time a similar request is made, it responds directly rather than querying a series of other servers.

• If the authoritative name servers also fail to find the information, the user receives an error message.

Because a domain name server (DNS) completes this process in a matter of seconds, the DNS protocol is the set of rules for querying and updating these servers that define how the Internet’s Domain Name System (DNS) works.

To put it simply, the process employs a recursive server that converts domain names into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and asks on the user’s behalf.

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It is now time to learn how to Setup and Configure Windows DNS Server on Windows 2022.

Windows DNS Server Installation and Configuration on Windows 2022

Prerequisites

• A server with the Windows Server 2022 operating system and RDP access.

• A user with administrative privileges.

• A minimum of 4 GB of RAM and a CPU with two cores is required.

Install DNS Server

Log in as an administrator user to Windows Server 2022 and follow the instructions below to install the DNS server.

Step 1: Launch the Server Manager, as illustrated below:

Step 2 — Select Add roles and features, and you should see the following screen:

Step 3 — After clicking the Next button, you should see the following screen:

Step 4 — Click the Next button after selecting Role-based and feature-based installation, and you should see the Select Destination Server screen:

Step 5 — From the server pool, select the server and click the Next button to bring up the roles selection screen:

Step 6 — Select the DNS server and press the Next button; you should see the following screen:

Step 7 — Check all settings and click the Install button to begin the installation; you should see the following screen:

Step 8 — Allow some time for the installation to complete before closing the installation wizard by clicking the Close button.

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Create a Forward Lookup Zone

To resolve the name to an IP address, you must first create a forward lookup zone. To do so, follow the steps below:

Step 1 — On the server manager, navigate to Tools => DNS to access the DNS manager, as shown below:

Step 2: Right-click on the server name to reveal the following options:

Step 3 — Select New Zone, and the zone configuration wizard should appear:

Step 4 — Press the Next button to bring up the zone type selection screen:

Step 5 — Click the Next button after selecting the Primary zone, and you should see the following screen:

Step 6 — Choose Forward lookup zone and press the Next button to see the following screen:

Step 7 — Enter your zone name and click the Next button to see the following screen:

Step 8 — Click the Next button after selecting «Create a file with the file name,» and you should see the Dynamic update screen:

Step 9 — Select «Do not allow dynamic update» and click the Next button. The following screen should appear:

Step 10 — Click the Finish button, and your forward lookup zone should appear in the following screen:

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Create a Reverse Lookup Zone

The next step is for you to create a reverse lookup zone to resolve the IP address to the name. To do so, follow the steps below:

Step 1 — In the DNS manager, right-click on the server name and select New Zone; the zone creation wizard should appear:

Step 2 — Press the Next button to bring up the zone type selection screen:

Step 3 — Choose the Primary zone and press the Next button to see the following screen:

Step 4 — Click the Next button after selecting «Reverse lookup zone,» and you should see the following screen:

Step 5 — Click the Next button after selecting IPv4 Reverse Lookup Zone, and you should see the following screen:

Step 6 — Enter your network id and press the Next button to see the following screen:

Step 7 — Click the Next button after selecting «Create a file with this file name,» and you should see the Dynamic update screen:

Step 8 — Select «Do not allow dynamic updates» and click the Next button. The following screen should appear:

Step 9 — Click the Finish button, and your reverse lookup zone should appear on the following screen:

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DNS A and PTR records should be added.

The following steps should be followed to add A and PTR records to DNS for remote hosts in order to perform name resolution:

Step 1 — In the DNS manager, right-click on the forward lookup zone to bring up the following screen:

Step 2 — Select New Host (A or AAAA). The following screen should appear:

Step 3 — Enter your host’s parent domain name and IP address, and select «Create associated pointer record,» then click the Add Host button. Finally, click the forward lookup zone, and you should see your newly added A record on the screen below:

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Verify DNS Name Resolution

Now that the DNS server installation and configuration is complete, we must test whether or not the DNS name resolution works.

Open your command prompt and type the following command: nslookup

				
					nslookup
				
			

You should get the following results:

				
					Default Server:  web.exampledns.com
Address:  208.117.85.195
				
			

Now, enter the FQDN of your newly added host:

				
					> web.exampledns.com
				
			

The following output should show the name to IP address resolution:

				
					Server:  web.exampledns.com
Address:  208.117.85.195

Name:    web.exampledns.com
Address:  208.117.85.195

				
			

Then enter your newly added host’s IP address:

				
					> 208.117.85.195
				
			

In the output, you should see the IP address to name resolution:

				
					
Server:  web.exampledns.com
Address:  208.117.85.195

Name:    web.exampledns.com
Address:  208.117.85.195

				
			

Thank you for reading this article on how to Setup and Configure Windows DNS Server on Windows 2022.

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Conclusion to How to Setup Windows DNS Server and Configuration on Windows 2022

We explained how to install a DNS server, create a forward and reverse lookup zone, and add A/PTR records to DNS in this How to Setup Windows DNS Server and Configuration on Windows 2022 post, so I hope you can now easily deploy your own DNS server for local name resolution in your organization.

Furthermore, remembering a website’s IP address can be difficult, but DNS servers alleviate this problem by converting long IP addresses into human-readable domain names that are simple to remember and use.Finally, a DNS server and innovative features such as AI-based searches and chatbots allow you to make online transactions quickly.

In Windows, how do I set up a DNS server?

How do you set up your DNS server?

In Windows Server, how do I manage DNS?

In Windows Server 2012, how do I set up a DNS server?

Step 1: To install the DNS role, navigate to «Server Manager» and select Manage Add Roles and Features. Step 2: Click Next.Step 3 Select the Role-based or feature-based installation option, then click Next. Step 4 Install a Local DNS role, which will select a server from the server pool, then click Next.