Reverse DNS

[Iman74]

My Google searches are either garbage or have me more confused than I started as. Basically I am trying to find out how you setup "reverse DNS".

This is all part of me setting up a FTP server, and the reason for this is so any PC on the same LAN as the FTP server would access the FTP server in the same manner as someone outside the LAN. All workstations will either be 2000 sp4 or XP Pro connected on a Linksys router. Please give me the kindergarden explanation for I am confused.

[faulkner132]

Reverse DNS is typically only used for email, you shouldn't need it to set up an FTP server.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_DNS_lookup

[glc]

How are you setting this up? Do you have a domain and are you running your own DNS?

[faulkner132]

You should first test the FTP site using only your public IP before you start messing with DNS. This will eliminate it completely from the equation at this point.

[Iman74]

Originally Posted by glc How are you setting this up? Do you have a domain and are you running your own DNS?

Planning to setup up a domain (not sure about the DNS) but this is further down the road. Right now I am learning/testing at home on a spare PC that I have, and learned a lot. This reverse DNS was second hand information I got from someone, however, I found it worked just fine from internal or external attempts so technically it looks like I don’t need to do this. Regardless someone told me to do a reverse DNS in this setup is basically add in the “HOST” file the name of the FTP server, and it’s IP if I have problems with internal machines accessing the FTP server.

On a different note I learned the holes I made on the Linksys was not done correctly for I am opening myself to further attacks, so they just showed me how to do it properly and will be changing that as soon as I get home. Also, found that FTP will not work while I have Windows Firewall on, and my wife who is very skilled in this couldn't get it to work properly either. Might but seriously doubt this has anything to do with how I made the holes on the Linksys, but will retest the connection after I make the correct holes, makes sure it works, then re-enable the firewall to see if it continues to work or prevents people from accessing the FTP server. In addition I found that when testing this with IE7 it acts really weird, but when testing it with IE6 it works just fine.

That pretty much covers it from here. Oh, and I am using www.no-ip.org so I can access this externally using a name instead of memorizing the IP. Neat tool that works REALLY well.

[mairving]

You can add an exception to Windows firewall to allow port 21 incoming rather than turn it off.

You can't really setup reverse DNS unless you are running a DNS server. There really is no need to do so. About the only purpose of reverse DNS is if you were running a mail server, which you really don't need to be doing.

[faulkner132]

Originally Posted by mairving You can add an exception to Windows firewall to allow port 21 incoming

You will want to enable TCP Port 20 as well.

[Iman74]

Originally Posted by faulkner132 You will want to enable TCP Port 20 as well.

I learned on my Network + that it uses 21 and 20 one for sending and the other for receiving. Which does what again?

[mairving]

Originally Posted by Iman74 I learned on my Network + that it uses 21 and 20 one for sending and the other for receiving. Which does what again?

It depends upon whether you are using passive or active FTP. Passive doesn't need port 20.

[glc]

IE syntax for FTP:

ftp://username:password@domain.com