DNS and Nameserver issues

[dizzy100]

OK i'm on the Swansea network and run a website.

Our website has been hosted in the US for about a year but we decided for various reasons to move to a UK server.

So we updated nameservers and waited, as one does, for the isp's to resolve to the new server.

However this was almost a week ago (we updated last Monday) and although every isp on the face of the planet is now resolving to our new server, NTL Swansea isn't.

We are a local focused community on the borough of Neath Port Talbot, Http://www.nptchat.co.uk, so you can imagine that when your local proxy hasn't updated its DNS to reflect your new server, it causes no end of trouble for the poor members of that area.

We've tried a great many things to try and resolve this. Our provider has researched, we've researched but theres nothing forthcoming.

The proxies that are effected are

swan-cache-1.server.ntli.net (Swansea)Ink
swan-cache-2.server.ntli.net [swa/swan]
swan-cache-3.server.ntli.net
swan-cache-4.server.ntli.net
swan-cache-5.server.ntli.net

Ironically

swan-cache-6.server.ntli.net
swan-cache-7.server.ntli.net
swan-cache-8.server.ntli.net

point to the new server.

I've tried a variety of proxies around the UK and Leicester is the only other area that points to the old server.

I've currently implemented a temporary redirect for my poor members and this has, at least for the intrim, restored partial website usage.

I've also tried to contact NTL and boy what a flipping joke. I managed to get through to NTL business who said they were not part of Virgin Media. He said however that the Swansea cache was always causing issue and he really wasn't surprised. I then hung on the telephone and eventually spoke to a Raj (why is it always a flipping Raj ? ) who frankly i couldn't understand too well. I explained to him i think i needed to speak to a higher tech on this issue but he assured me he could help. Several minutes after explaining to him he said he couldn't help and i would need to speak to someone above him (ARGHHHHHHH). He wanted me to telephone yet another number, i'd been doing this since 9am, and i said he could jolly well put me through himself.

So he agreed and did just that, only another Raj came on the phone (a different Raj) and again he couldn't speak a great deal of recognisable English. I again explained the problem and he said he'd pass me to higher Tech as he was just the same as the other Raj. Then, and you'll love this part, i got an automated message saying "we see you need further help. You need to telephone - WHATEVER NUMBER - Calls cost £1 a minute". I was appalled.

So i spent around an hour at god only knows what cost per a minute to tell them they have some issues and just couldn't get anybody with any sense.

So we are now left with a proxy that doesn't seem to be updating its nameservers and members hitting an old site and being redirected to the new site.

Anybody offer any advice ?

[Toto]

Interesting..I've just done this on the standard VM dns server for ex ntl area:

nslookup www.nptchat.co.uk
Server: cache1.ntli.net
Address: 194.168.4.100

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: nptchat.co.uk
Address: 194.0.252.3
Aliases: www.nptchat.co.uk

Seems OK

Just tried swan-cache-1.server.ntli.net, and its going to the forum, but not resolving the name, very odd.

> www.nptchat.co.uk
Server: swan-cache-1.server.ntli.net
Address: 213.105.224.11

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: nptchat.co.uk
Address: 72.9.252.210
Aliases: www.nptchat.co.uk

Perhaps a tech from Swansea can pick this up and raise a ticket for you, any takers?

Actually, I got curious and ran your domain through DNS Stuff, I assume you have moved hosting back to the old company?

http://www.dnsstuff.com/tools/dnsrep....nptchat.co.uk

[v0id]

Have you tried not using a proxy, as I assumed they [virginmedia] were supposed to be shutting them down anyway?

[dizzy100]

Thanks Toto

i've pretty much given up to be honest and am moving my servers back

I can use a proxy to eliminate the issue but that really doesn't help my member now

[dizzy100]

Well i'm back trying to migrate my website to another server and yet again every cache, isp and provider has updated and resolved apart from Swansea Virgin Media. As i'm a localised community dealing in just the swansea and Neath Port Talbot areas you can imagine how troublesome this has become.

I've set a temp redirect from the old server to the new server (calling the new servers ip) so at least my members can access the website but why oh why does Swansea not resolve ? Anyone any ideas ?

[Toto]

Swansea don't use cache's anymore, this is very strange.

[dizzy100]

No thats true they don't But they arn't resolving this domain at all

Does anybody know who i can call on this ? Going through that automated telephone system will be totally pointless. Any help appreciated.

[Toto]

OK, I see your point.

VM are currently upgrading their whole DNS network, this should be in place by September according to third party reports.

[dizzy100]

Oh god i can't wait till September LOL

---------- Post added at 16:55 ---------- Previous post was at 16:27 ----------

There must be somebody you can report shoddy dns propagation too at Virgin Media ? I know last time i tried i got the right run around though.

Anybody any idea ?

[adam.ford]

Hey There,

VM's DNS servers in Swansea appear to be behaving normally.

Your old authoritative DNS servers are still responding and giving out the wrong answer for that domain. Contact the owners of the servers still hosting this domain and ask them to stop! :o)

old dns servers:
nptchat.co.uk. 86400 IN NS ns2.whsrv5.com.
nptchat.co.uk. 86400 IN NS ns1.whsrv5.com.

new dns servers:
nptchat.co.uk. 84548 IN NS ns578.hostgator.com.
nptchat.co.uk. 84548 IN NS ns577.hostgator.com.

Asking these DNS servers about the server:

adam@myhost>host -t a nptchat.co.uk ns1.whsrv5.com | grep addr
nptchat.co.uk has address 72.249.55.36

adam@myhost>host -t a nptchat.co.uk ns578.hostgator.com | grep addr
nptchat.co.uk has address 74.53.26.194

If the admins of ns1/2.whsrv5.com cease to host the domain, then the new records will be able to propagate correctly. :o)

Any DNS servers that have 'cached' the old entries for your site may have problems until the old authoritative DNS servers cease giving out bogus answers!

Adam.

[dizzy100]

Adam i'm not entirely sure what you mean my friend although i do completely thankyou for responding.

ns1.whsrv5.com is my old provider host but not my domain name holder, they are just a webservice that i pointed to using their ns1.whsrv5.com and ns2.whsrv5.com nameservers. I have changed those dns entries at my domain host side from that to NS ns578.hostgator.com. and NS ns577.hostgator.com because i've moved the website to hostgator in the US (our domain name is hosted with namescheap).

Almost everyone has updated appropriately apart from the Swansea NTL area (causing me a great deal of issue as you can understand).

Who do you feel i should contact mate and what should i request them to do ?

[Toto]

dizzy, I wouldn't ask you to do this normally, and you would have every right to question me on this, but trust what Adam says, honestly.

[dizzy100]

Toto i do mate but im not sure how to rectify the problem ?

I'm I reading this right, it it my previous host holding the domain somehow and if so how do i tell them they are doing it and how to rectify it ?

[Toto]

Originally Posted by dizzy100

Toto i do mate but im not sure how to rectify the problem ?

I'm I reading this right, it it my previous host holding the domain somehow and if so how do i tell them they are doing it and how to rectify it ?

I would think you could contact your old hosting company, and ask them to resolve the problem, well I think.

[adam.ford]

Originally Posted by dizzy100

Adam i'm not entirely sure what you mean my friend although i do completely thankyou for responding.

No probs sir

ns1.whsrv5.com is my old provider host but not my domain name holder, they are just a webservice that i pointed to using their ns1.whsrv5.com and ns2.whsrv5.com nameservers. I have changed those dns entries at my domain host side from that to NS ns578.hostgator.com. and NS ns577.hostgator.com because i've moved the website to hostgator in the US (our domain name is hosted with namescheap).

The problem is that your old provider (who held DNS for this zone) still is holding DNS records for it. If you look below, you'll see that i ask your old ISP DNS "who owns the DNS servers?"- and it thinks it owns them.

adam@myhost> host -t ns nptchat.co.uk ns1.whsrv5.com
nptchat.co.uk name server ns2.whsrv5.com
nptchat.co.uk name server ns1.whsrv5.com

If i just let my machine resolve it (off the Virgin Media network), it gets the correct servers;

host -t ns nptchat.co.uk
nptchat.co.uk name server ns578.hostgator.com
nptchat.co.uk name server ns577.hostgator.com

Almost everyone has updated appropriately apart from the Swansea NTL area (causing me a great deal of issue as you can understand).

NTL, who are they?

This is likely because you accessed your page using the Swansea DNS servers before- so its cached the result. The other caches around Virgins Network are new to the domain-- so when someone tests another cache for you- that cache has never learnt about the old domain- so picks up the new servers immediately

The Swansea caches, because they're familiar with the old host, have cached the fact that the old host is authoritative- so they will go there for updates.

In english-- When the "timeout" for your zone comes up for expiry on Swansea caches - Swansea caches will contact your old provider and say "Hey, can i have an update?" and your old provider is saying "Sure, here you go!" and giving them wrong information, when really they should be saying "Sorry mate, I don't do that job anymore- go away!".

Who do you feel i should contact mate and what should i request them to do ?

hostgator.com DNS servers are fine- you can leave them be- however you should contact your old provider (ns1.whsrv5.com), and ask them to stop responding authoritatively for your domain (as though they own it).

From the DNS record, it says you should email root@wh5.whsrv5.com, which sounds a bit odd. So you could try hostmaster@whsrv5.com, or hostmaster@wh5.whsrv5.com.

nptchat.co.uk start of authority ns1.whsrv5.com root.wh5.whsrv5.com (

I would hope you know the admin of the old host- or at least have access to modify the configs there.

Hope this helps, good luck!

Adam.