NS Record Lookup

Check nameserver records and verify authoritative DNS configuration from multiple locations.

What This Checks

Multiple record types (A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME, SOA, CAA)Multi-region DNS resolutionPropagation checkingTTL informationReverse DNS lookup

About DNS Lookup

Complete DNS lookup tool that queries A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME, and other DNS record types from multiple global DNS servers.

Key Features

Multiple record types (A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME, SOA, CAA)

Multi-region DNS resolution

Propagation checking

TTL information

Reverse DNS lookup

Also Available via API & MCP Server

Automate dns lookup checks in your CI/CD pipelines or run them directly from your AI coding agent.

REST API

Single endpoint, JSON response. Integrate into any language or platform.

cURL

curl -X POST https://probeops.com/api/v1/run \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"tool": "dns_lookup", "target": "example.com"}'

Learn more about the API

MCP Server

Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and any MCP-compatible IDE.

Claude Code

> Check the dns lookup for example.com

Claude uses the probeops_dns_lookup tool to run
the check from 6 global regions and returns
structured results.

Learn more about the MCP Server

NS (Name Server) records are the foundation of your domain's DNS—they specify which servers are authoritative for your domain and hold the master copies of all your DNS records. When you change DNS providers or set up a new domain, correctly configuring NS records is the critical first step.

Our multi-region NS lookup tool verifies that your nameserver configuration is consistent across global DNS infrastructure. This is essential during DNS migrations to ensure the transition is complete, and for ongoing monitoring to detect any unauthorized changes to your domain's nameserver settings.

Incorrect or inconsistent NS records can make your entire domain unreachable, which is why verifying them from multiple geographic locations provides confidence that your DNS foundation is solid.

**Methodology:** NS record queries from 6 regions showing authoritative nameservers and their resolved IP addresses.

Common DNS Errors & How to Fix Them

4 relevant issues

What This Means

The domain name does not exist in DNS. This means no DNS records of any type were found for this domain.

How to Fix

1) Verify spelling: dig example.com ANY. 2) Check registration: whois example.com (look for "Status: active"). 3) Verify NS at registrar matches your DNS provider. 4) If recently registered, wait 24-48 hours and test with: dig @8.8.8.8 example.com

nxdomaindomain not foundno such domaindns lookup failed

What This Means

The DNS server encountered an error while processing the query. This often indicates a problem with the authoritative nameservers or DNSSEC validation failure.

How to Fix

1) Trace the query path: dig +trace example.com. 2) Test authoritative NS directly: dig @ns1.yourprovider.com example.com. 3) Check DNSSEC: dig +dnssec example.com (look for "ad" flag). 4) Bypass DNSSEC validation: dig +cd example.com. If +cd works but normal query fails, DNSSEC is broken.

servfailserver failuredns errordnssec

What This Means

The DNS server did not respond within the expected time. This can indicate network issues, overloaded nameservers, or firewall blocking.

How to Fix

1) Test NS connectivity: dig @ns1.example.com example.com +time=10. 2) Check if NS responds: nslookup example.com ns1.yourprovider.com. 3) Verify UDP port 53: nc -vzu ns1.example.com 53. 4) Test from different resolver: dig @1.1.1.1 example.com. If public resolvers work, your NS may be overloaded or blocking.

timeoutno responsedns slowconnection timeout

What This Means

The DNS server refused to answer the query. This can happen when querying a server that doesn't serve the requested zone or has access restrictions.

How to Fix

1) Find correct NS: dig NS example.com +short. 2) Query the listed NS: dig @ns1.listed-server.com example.com. 3) If using custom NS, verify zone is configured: check DNS provider dashboard. 4) Some NS refuse queries from certain IPs (rate limiting)—try from different network.

refusedquery refusedaccess denied

See all DNS errors →

Frequently Asked Questions

4 relevant questions

NS (Name Server) records specify which DNS servers are authoritative for your domain—meaning they hold the master copies of your DNS records. When you register a domain or change DNS providers, you update NS records to point to your DNS host. Most domains have 2-4 NS records for redundancy. If all your nameservers go down, your domain becomes completely unreachable.

nsnameserver

To change nameservers safely: 1) Set up all your DNS records on the new provider first, 2) Lower TTLs on existing records 24-48 hours before, 3) Update NS records at your registrar, 4) Wait for propagation (up to 48 hours), 5) Verify resolution from multiple regions, 6) Keep the old DNS active for a few days as backup. Never delete records from the old provider until you've confirmed the new setup works globally.

nsmigration

DNS propagation is the time it takes for DNS changes to spread across all DNS servers worldwide. When you update a DNS record, the change must propagate from your authoritative nameserver to DNS resolvers globally. Propagation typically takes 1-24 hours, though it can take up to 48 hours in rare cases. The actual time depends on the TTL (Time To Live) value of your records—lower TTLs mean faster propagation but more DNS queries to your servers.

generalpropagation

DNS resolvers in different geographic regions may have different cached values, especially during propagation. Checking from multiple regions helps you verify that your DNS changes have fully propagated worldwide, identify regional DNS issues, and ensure consistent resolution for global users. This is particularly important for CDN configurations, geo-targeted services, and diagnosing "works for me but not for users in X country" problems.

generalregionspropagation

See all DNS FAQs →

DNS Propagation TroubleshootingStep-by-step guide with examples and troubleshooting tips