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Query forward and reverse lookups with macOS
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Query forward and reverse lookups with macOS

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In this video, we’ll explore a macOS terminal command that lets us check forward and reverse lookups on a local DNS server. This command can be super useful when testing a DNS server you’ve set up on your network.

Note: Just a heads up, you’ll need to test the Forward and Reverse lookups to make sure you’ve set up your DNS server correctly. Since Network Utility is no longer supported in macOS 11, we suggest using this command when testing the configuration of a DNS server on a Synology NAS.

Quick reference notes
  • From your macOS desktop, select Spotlight Search.
  • Within Spotlight Search type Terminal and press Enter on your keyboard
  • To perform a forward lookup on a local DNS server, at the command prompt type.
host [hostname.example.com]
  • When you press Enter on the keyboard you should be presented with the IP address associated with that domain name.
  • To perform a reverse lookup on a local DNS Server, at the command prompt type.
host [IP address]
  • When you press Enter on the keyboard, you should be presented with the domain name associated with that IP address
  • To gracefully close your current Terminal session type:
exit
  • When you press Enter on your keyboard the Terminal session will end and you can close the Terminal application.
Reference Material

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