5 Online Tools to Check DNS Records – Best DNS Checkers

Hey there!

Having website connectivity issues? Pages won‘t load for your users? There‘s a good chance DNS misconfiguration could be the culprit.

As your resident tech geek, I want to provide some major DNS debugging value in this post. I‘ll be covering 5 awesome tools to lookup DNS records and explain why proper DNS setup is so crucial for your website.

Trust me, every site owner needs to have these DNS record checkers in their troubleshooting toolkit!

Why DNS Records Matter

Before jumping into the tools, let‘s chat for a sec about WHY DNS is such a big deal in the first place.

See, the Domain Name System (DNS) is the backbone of how users access websites and services on the internet. It‘s essentially a global phone book that maps domain names to IP addresses that computers use to route traffic.

When you type a URL like example.com into your browser, here‘s what happens behind the scenes:

1. Your computer asks a DNS resolver server "What‘s the IP address for example.com?"

2. The DNS resolver looks up the matching records in its DNS database

3. It returns the IP address linked to that domain name

4. Your computer uses the IP address to connect to the server for example.com

Now, in order for this process to work properly, the domain name needs to have the correct DNS records configured.

Common DNS Record Types

Here are some of the most common records website owners need to setup:

• A Record – Maps a domain name to an IPv4 IP address

• AAAA Record – Maps a domain name to an IPv6 IP address

• CNAME Record – Points a domain name to another domain name (example.com → www.example.com)

• MX Record – Defines the mail servers for a domain name to receive email

• NS Records – Specifies the name servers for a domain name (e.g. ns1.example.com)

• TXT Record – Provides extra text information about a domain

Without proper DNS records, the lookups will fail and users won‘t be able to reach your site.

Why Check DNS Records?

Here are some of the top reasons you‘ll want to lookup and validate your DNS setup:

• Troubleshoot web connectivity issues – Incorrectly configured DNS records can prevent users from accessing your site. Checking DNS helps pinpoint problems.

• Confirm DNS changes – After updating DNS settings, use a lookup tool to verify the changes have propagated successfully across DNS servers worldwide.

• Security audits – Improper DNS can expose your site to hijacking or attacks. Also check for proper DNSSEC setup.

• Email troubleshooting – If emails from your domain don‘t send/receive correctly, the MX records may be misconfigured.

• Penetration testing – Pen testers use DNS queries to gather intel on targets during ethical hacking recon stages.

• Detect DNS hijacking – Lookups can reveal unauthorized DNS alterations if your settings have been compromised or changed without your knowledge.

Now that you know why DNS is so critical, let‘s explore some excellent tools to lookup and validate your DNS records!

1. Nslookup.io

My first recommendation is Nslookup.io. This handy web-based tool lets you easily lookup the DNS records for any domain.

Just enter a domain, hit "Find DNS records", and Nslookup.io displays the key details:

I like how Nslookup.io shows the most common record types like A, AAA, CNAME, MX, NS, and TXT. This gives you a great overview of how the domain is configured on a DNS level.

Nslookup.io also features:

• Auto-suggest dropdown – helps prevent typos and mistakes when entering a domain.

• Change DNS server – query different resolvers like Google or Cloudflare‘s, instead of just your default. Helpful for checking propagation.

• Completely free – no account needed and no rate limiting.

Nslookup.io has an extremely clean and ad-free interface too. I‘d definitely recommend bookmarking this tool to have handy for any future DNS debugging needs!

2. Geekflare DNS Lookup

Next up is Geekflare DNS Lookup, created by the cybersecurity experts at Geekflare. It provides another great way to validate your DNS setup.

Instead of just listing the record types, Geekflare‘s tool also displays additional context like IP addresses, TTL values, and priority:

Having the extra metadata helps paint a clearer picture of how the records are configured. You can also spot any incorrect IP addresses or suspicious TTL values that could indicate issues.

Geekflare has a few other useful DNS tools as well:

• Propagation checker – look up records over time to see when DNS changes have fully propagated worldwide.

• DNS Lookup API – automate DNS queries via API from your own scripts and apps.

For both occasional debugging and programmatic DNS checks, Geekflare has you covered. Their tools are definitely worth bookmarking!

3. DNSChecker

Up next is DNSChecker. As the name suggests, it offers a straightforward way to validate your DNS setup.

DNSChecker has a couple handy options you don‘t get on some other basic tools:

• Select DNS server – Choose which resolver to query from their predefined list. Helpful for checking propagation.

• Specify record type – Only pull back A, NS, CNAMEs, etc. Reduces clutter.

• Subdomain lookup – Find records for subdomains too, not just the root domain.

• Supports specialty records – Lookup DS, DNSKEY, and other obscure record types.

The clean results page displays the key details like IPs and TTLs in an easy-to-read format.

DNSChecker is completely free to use as well, with no rate limiting. It‘s another great DNS tool to have in your arsenal!

4. MXToolbox DNS Lookup

If you need in-depth DNS troubleshooting capabilities, MXToolbox is a powerhouse option.

MXToolbox‘s lookup tool pulls back just about every record type you‘d need to inspect:

In addition to standard records, MXToolbox includes:

• WHOIS lookup

• Blacklist check

• Mail server test results

• Link to TCP/IP tools

For digging into DNS issues, MXToolbox blows most other tools out of the water.

Some of the advanced features include:

• Toggle CNAME resolution

• Trace complete DNS delegation

• Filter record types

• Bulk lookups

MXToolbox does offer a paid subscription model based on the number of lookups needed per month. But the capabilities are well worth the cost for serious DNS troubleshooting.

5. DNSWatch

Last but not least is DNSWatch. The minimal interface makes DNS lookups a breeze.

Just plug in a domain or IP, choose the record type, and DNSWatch fetches the DNS details.

The clean visual layout clearly displays all the relevant info like TTLs and IPs. It works great on both desktop and mobile too.

DNSWatch is completely free to start using today. Overall, it‘s a simple yet effective DNS lookup option.

Nslookup – Command Line DNS Lookup

The tools above all provide user-friendly web interfaces for DNS debugging. But you can also lookup records right from the command line using nslookup.

Nslookup is installed by default on pretty much any OS – Windows, Linux, MacOS, etc. Just open up your terminal or command prompt and run:

nslookup example.com

This will lookup all the main record types for that domain.

You can specify a particular record by adding the set query=TYPE parameter:

> set query=mx
> example.com 

Now it will only return the MX records configured for example.com.

Nslookup at the CLI isn‘t quite as pretty as a dedicated DNS tool. But it‘s great for quick text-based lookups if you spend a lot of time in the terminal.

Why Proper DNS Configuration Matters

Now that you‘ve got some excellent tools to validate your DNS setup, let‘s talk a bit more about why proper DNS configuration is so important.

Site Availability

The #1 reason you need solid DNS is availability. According to Cloudflare, misconfigured DNS is the cause behind roughly 20% of website downtime incidents.

If the DNS settings are incorrect, users simply won‘t be able to access your site. Pages will fail to load. Email will stop working. It essentially cuts off connectivity to your web presence.

Some common examples include:

• Typo in your A record IP address

• Forgetting to repoint DNS to new server

• Accidental deletion of records

• DNS registrar account compromised

• DNS hijacking attacks

Even just a single malformed DNS record can knock your entire website offline.

And the outage isn‘t limited to just you as the owner – it affects every visitor trying to reach your domain. Downtime directly impacts revenue, productivity, and reputation.

According to Gartner Research, the average cost of infrastructure failure is a staggering $5,600 per minute. For ecommerce sites, it‘s closer to $300,000 per hour of downtime when you factor in lost sales!

By keeping a close eye on your DNS configuration with tools like we‘ve covered, you can minimize outages and avoid thousands in lost revenue and productivity.

Security Vulnerabilities

On top of downtime, incorrect DNS setup also poses major security risks. It exposes your website and business to several dangerous threats:

• DNS hijacking – Hackers can maliciously alter DNS settings to redirect traffic to phishing sites.

• Domain takeover – If DNS records are left orphaned, attackers can claim expired domains.

• Email interception – Unsecured MX records allow cybercriminals to intercept private communications and steal data.

• DNS tunneling – Malware uses DNS to create covert channels for command and control.

• DDoS amplification – Improperly scoped DNS servers are abused to launch reflected DDoS attacks.

These threats become possible when you aren‘t carefully managing your DNS records. Validating your configuration closes these potential loopholes.

Proper DNS security also includes setting up DNSSEC, which cryptographically signs records to prevent tampering and forgeries.

Here are some stats that highlight the prevalence of DNS-based attacks:

• 76% of businesses reported a DNS attack in 2019 (EfficientIP 2021 State of DNS Survey)

• There was a 141% increase in DNS hijacks Q4 2018 vs Q4 2017 (Akamai 2019 State of the Internet Report)

• 91% of malware uses DNS for command and control (Sophos)

By regularly checking your DNS configuration with tools like we covered, you can detect and prevent malicious alterations or exploits in your domain‘s records before disaster strikes.

Tips For Proper DNS Hygiene

Here are a few good practices I recommend for keeping your DNS locked down:

🛡️Enable registry lock – Lock your domain at the registrar level to prevent unauthorized transfers or changes. This prevents hijacking of your entire domain.

🔑Restrict access – Limit who can actually modify DNS settings for your domain. Don‘t share the keys to the kingdom!

⌚️Monitor records – Periodically check your DNS configuration using multiple lookup tools to detect any suspicious changes.

🔐DNSSEC – Digitally sign records using DNSSEC to prevent manipulation and forgeries.

📈Keep current – Update your DNS settings whenever you migrate web hosting providers or make relevant infrastructure changes.

🤖Automate monitoring – Use a script or DNS monitoring service to automatically validate your DNS setup.

Signing off for now my friend! I hope you found this breakdown on DNS debugging tools super helpful. Proper DNS configuration is crucial for keeping your website available and secure.

Keep these excellent record checkers in your back pocket and stay vigilant! Let me know if any other questions come up!