telnetting/netcatting into a DNS server?

[Igor Robul]

Mohan Singh wrote:

>Whenever I need to test a mail/ssh/web server, I usually just telnet or nc
>into the appropriate port, i.e.:
>
>   $ echo "GET / " |nc -v yahoo.com 80
>
>   $ nc -v localhost 22
>   Connection to localhost 22 port [tcp/ssh] succeeded!
>   SSH-1.99-OpenSSH_4.2
>
>How would I connect to a nameserver and talk to it so I can know it is
>working? I get as far as connecting to the port, but I don't know how to
>make it send back anything meaningful.
>  
>
if you wish "know" your nameserver works, then
nslookup - your.server.ip

then try resolve some hostname/ip

or

host _name_to_resolve_ your.server.ip