To DNS serve, or not to

[Bill Vermillion]

Throwing caution to the wind and speaking without thinking about
what was being said on Mon, May 05, 2003 at 15:15 ,
agent dero blurted this:

> I am setting up a home based server, that will host a couple
> domain names on 768k SDSL. I have the server all lined up and
> I am wondering what I should do about DNS serving. I figure I
> have three choices.

> a) install BIND on my web/ftp/lan server (also doubling as
> network firewall)

> b) get an old junk box, like 300Mhz w/ 64MB RAM and use it as
> the DNS Server.

> c) use a free off-location service, such as zoneedit.com to
> handle DNS requests, that come to my static IP.

> With option (a) the server is a dual CPU, high powered
> workhorse, but I am worried about the security, and
> managability of putting all those features in a single box.

I'd go with a) and make sure there was a secondary server somewhere
else if you have a DSL problem or failure.   The plus is also that
it will store all lookups and thus you won't have to go off-site
for things which have been looked up before until their expiration
date.

I run a cacheing only DNS on my mail/news machine - all text mode -
and it's only a 166Mhz with 64MB RAM. Doesn't take up much space at
all.  But DO have at least two working DNS servers  and not from
one of the places that puts two IPs on one box.

Bill
-- 
Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com