> Mark> Send it a non-recursive query. A nameserver should
> Mark> always answer even if it is just a header containing
> Mark> refused, servfail or notimp.
>
> Yes, but there is one notorious DNS implementation that doesn't do
> that. It fails to return any answer -- not even a referral for . -- if
> it's asked for a name that it isn't authoritative for.
Fortunatly, his other suggestion about sending a status opcode will get a
"not implemented" response from the "nortorious implementation" in
question.
The only DNS server I know about that has version out there that don't
correctly handle the "status" opcode is my own implentation of a DNS
server. It used to handle a status query like a normal query. In fact,
Mark's posting made me realize that my implementation had this problem.
In light of his posting, I just released a new bugfix release because of
this issue.
- Sam