Dig giving different output?

[D. Stussy]

"Scott Baker" <bakers at web-ster.com> wrote in message
news:fuj8lg$jjo$1 at sf1.isc.org...
> We're having problems resolving ns1.portline-dns.net right now.
>
> root at taurus(~)
> :dig ns1.portline-dns.net
>
> ; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> ns1.portline-dns.net
> ;; global options:  printcmd
> ;; Got answer:
> ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NXDOMAIN, id: 20806
> ;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0
>
> ;; QUESTION SECTION:
> ;ns1.portline-dns.net.          IN      A
>
> ;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
> portline-dns.net.       1332    IN      SOA     ns1.lnhi.net.
> administrator.lnhi.net. 2008041611 900 600 86400 3600
>
> ;; Query time: 1 msec
> ;; SERVER: 65.182.224.40#53(65.182.224.40)
> ;; WHEN: Mon Apr 21 16:29:20 2008
> ;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 97
>
> No answer... same server, just adding the +trace option 3 seconds later.

Huh?  You GOT an answer.  It doesn't exist.  That's what status=NXDOMAIN
means.

> root at taurus(~)
> :dig ns1.portline-dns.net +trace
>
> ; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> ns1.portline-dns.net +trace
> ;; global options:  printcmd
> .                       419952  IN      NS      f.root-servers.net.
> .                       419952  IN      NS      j.root-servers.net.
> .                       419952  IN      NS      a.root-servers.net.
> .                       419952  IN      NS      c.root-servers.net.
> .                       419952  IN      NS      h.root-servers.net.
> .                       419952  IN      NS      m.root-servers.net.
> .                       419952  IN      NS      b.root-servers.net.
> .                       419952  IN      NS      d.root-servers.net.
> .                       419952  IN      NS      e.root-servers.net.
> .                       419952  IN      NS      g.root-servers.net.
> .                       419952  IN      NS      l.root-servers.net.
> .                       419952  IN      NS      i.root-servers.net.
> .                       419952  IN      NS      k.root-servers.net.
> ;; Received 500 bytes from 65.182.224.40#53(65.182.224.40) in 1 ms
>
> net.                    172800  IN      NS      C.GTLD-SERVERS.net.
> net.                    172800  IN      NS      D.GTLD-SERVERS.net.
> net.                    172800  IN      NS      E.GTLD-SERVERS.net.
> net.                    172800  IN      NS      F.GTLD-SERVERS.net.
> net.                    172800  IN      NS      G.GTLD-SERVERS.net.
> net.                    172800  IN      NS      H.GTLD-SERVERS.net.
> net.                    172800  IN      NS      I.GTLD-SERVERS.net.
> net.                    172800  IN      NS      J.GTLD-SERVERS.net.
> net.                    172800  IN      NS      K.GTLD-SERVERS.net.
> net.                    172800  IN      NS      L.GTLD-SERVERS.net.
> net.                    172800  IN      NS      M.GTLD-SERVERS.net.
> net.                    172800  IN      NS      A.GTLD-SERVERS.net.
> net.                    172800  IN      NS      B.GTLD-SERVERS.net.
> ;; Received 507 bytes from 192.36.148.17#53(i.root-servers.net) in 329 ms
>
> ns1.portline-dns.net.   172800  IN      A       209.41.184.100
> portline-dns.net.       172800  IN      NS      ns1.portline-dns.net.
> portline-dns.net.       172800  IN      NS      ns2.portline-dns.net.
> ;; Received 118 bytes from 192.31.80.30#53(D.GTLD-SERVERS.net) in 54 ms
>
> Now I get 209.41.184.100! Switching back and forth between +trace and
> without I get different results. How is that?

See Mr. Margolin's reply.