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NSLOOKUP Returns Time-out Error When Query for an MX Record

Article ID: 198551

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

APPLIES TO

This article was previously published under Q198551

SYMPTOMS

If you use Nslookup.exe to query for a Mail Exchanger record (MX), it may fail with the following error:

*** Request to dnsserver.example.microsoft.com timed-out


NOTE: dnsserver.example.microsoft.com is the host name of the DNS server you are querying.

CAUSE

If the DNS server that you are querying has an MX record in the DNS zone similar to 
   domainname.example.microsoft.com.    MX    10    192.168.1.1

you may see the error mentioned above.

RESOLUTION

Change the MX record to point to a host name that will then, in turn, resolve to the same IP address. For example, in the domainname.com zone, make the following change: 
   domainname.example.microsoft.com. MX 10 host1.domainname.example.microsoft.com
   host1                             A  192.168.1.1

STATUS

This behavior is by design. According to RFC 974:

Each MX matches a domain name with two pieces of data, a preference value (an unsigned 16-bit integer), and the name of a host.

Keywords: kbprb KB198551


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