how do I find my dns server address?

Hi, I'm on a remote wifi network and want to connect using a static IP.
However, that requires knowing the dns server for the network
configuration.

How do I identify what the dns server address is for my current
connection? Why can't I just give the address of the router
(192.168.2.1) as my dns server (because that's where you would go for
resolution if you were connecting via dhcp.

On 10 Jul 2006, in the Usenet newsgroup comp.os.linux.networking, in article
<(E-Mail Removed) .com>, idiotprogrammer wrote:

>I'm on a remote wifi network and want to connect using a static IP.
>However, that requires knowing the dns server for the network
>configuration.

and gateway IP, and that the router will accept statically assigned IPs. If
this is a public hotspot, the last may not be true.

>How do I identify what the dns server address is for my current
>connection?

From the user level, you ask the network administrator. You could also
ask a whois server, or someone's working DNS server what the addresses
are. You posted from

>NNTP-Posting-Host: 24.174.7.121

[compton ~]$ host -a 24.174.7.121
rcode = 0 (Success), ancount=1
121.7.174.24.IN-ADDR.ARPA 3600 IN PTR cpe-24-174-7-121.houston.res.rr.com
For authoritative answers, see:
7.174.24.IN-ADDR.ARPA 3600 IN NS dns-pri-01.texas.rr.com
7.174.24.IN-ADDR.ARPA 3600 IN NS dns-sec-02.texas.rr.com
Additional information:
dns-pri-01.texas.rr.com 5524 IN A 24.93.40.32
dns-sec-02.texas.rr.com 5524 IN A 24.93.40.33
[compton ~]$

>Why can't I just give the address of the router (192.168.2.1) as my dns
>server (because that's where you would go for resolution if you were
>connecting via dhcp.

If that's what the DHCP server is handing out, there's no reason you can't
use that address for name service as well. Did you try it? What happened?

Old guy

idiotprogrammer wrote:

> Hi, I'm on a remote wifi network and want to connect using a static IP.
> However, that requires knowing the dns server for the network
> configuration.
>
> How do I identify what the dns server address is for my current
> connection?

Look in your /etc/resolve.conf

> Why can't I just give the address of the router
> (192.168.2.1) as my dns server (because that's where you would go for
> resolution if you were connecting via dhcp.

So? A computer can run more than one piece of server software at once.

--
David Dorward <http://blog.dorward.me.uk/> <http://dorward.me.uk/>
Home is where the ~/.bashrc is

Why not just run DNS on your machine, and not worry about external
services.
Makes things easy when ISP upstream moves things around.
Robert

On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 15:01:12 -0500, Moe Trin wrote:

> On 10 Jul 2006, in the Usenet newsgroup comp.os.linux.networking, in article
> <(E-Mail Removed) .com>, idiotprogrammer wrote:
>
>>I'm on a remote wifi network and want to connect using a static IP.
>>However, that requires knowing the dns server for the network
>>configuration.
>
> and gateway IP, and that the router will accept statically assigned IPs. If
> this is a public hotspot, the last may not be true.
>
>>How do I identify what the dns server address is for my current
>>connection?
>
> From the user level, you ask the network administrator. You could also
> ask a whois server, or someone's working DNS server what the addresses
> are. You posted from
>
>>NNTP-Posting-Host: 24.174.7.121
>
> [compton ~]$ host -a 24.174.7.121
> rcode = 0 (Success), ancount=1
> 121.7.174.24.IN-ADDR.ARPA 3600 IN PTR cpe-24-174-7-121.houston.res.rr.com
> For authoritative answers, see:
> 7.174.24.IN-ADDR.ARPA 3600 IN NS dns-pri-01.texas.rr.com
> 7.174.24.IN-ADDR.ARPA 3600 IN NS dns-sec-02.texas.rr.com
> Additional information:
> dns-pri-01.texas.rr.com 5524 IN A 24.93.40.32
> dns-sec-02.texas.rr.com 5524 IN A 24.93.40.33
> [compton ~]$
>
>>Why can't I just give the address of the router (192.168.2.1) as my dns
>>server (because that's where you would go for resolution if you were
>>connecting via dhcp.
>
> If that's what the DHCP server is handing out, there's no reason you can't
> use that address for name service as well. Did you try it? What happened?
>
> Old guy