You can open log files created by Simple DNS Plus with notepad, or watch the most recent log entries using the Active Log View.
Log lines starting with "->" are details for a previous line.
In addition to the logs, you can receive notification for warning and error message via network messages, e-mail, or otherwise by using the warning.bat feature.
The following explains the errors, warnings, and header messages you might see:
*** Error: Could not start DNS service [on <ip-address>] (Error <n>)
This usually means that another DNS server or another program is occupying the DNS port (53) on the same computer.
Can also occur when using "Internet Connection Sharing".
For more information, please see http://www.simpledns.com/faq.asp#errport
Once you have corrected the problem, use "Start server" from the File menu.
*** Error: Could not start DHCP service on <ip-address> (Error <n>)
This usually means that another DHCP server or another program is occupying the DHCP server port (67) on the same computer.
Can also occur when using "Internet Connection Sharing".
Once you have corrected the problem, use "Start server" from the File menu.
*** Error: Could not start HTTP service on port <port-number> (Error <n>)
This means that the HTTP port is occupied by another program or possibly another instance of Simple DNS Plus.
You may need to change the port number used for HTTP in the Options dialog / HTTP API section.
*** Error: Could not open zone file: <file-name>
Another program may be accessing the zone file (in the "data" subdirectory).
*** Error: Could not update 'boot' file for zone <zone-name>
Another program may be accessing the 'boot' file (in the "data" subdirectory).
*** Error: Could not save zone file: <file-name> (Error <n> <error-description>)
Another program may be accessing the zone file (in the "data" subdirectory), the harddisk may be full, or something else is preventing Simple DNS Plus write access to the file.
*** Warning: UDP packet from <ip-address> port zero ignored
See the "Port Scanners" section in How to secure your server.
*** Warning: IP address <ip-address> blocked (more than <n> requests per second)
See the "Denial of service" section in How to secure your server.
*** Warning: Request from <ip-address> for BIND version - possible hack attempt
See the "BIND version requests" section in How to secure your server.
*** Warning: TCP connection from <ip-address> closed - Telnet detected
See the "Telnet connections" section in How to secure your server.
*** TCP connection request rejected - maximum connections (<n>) reached
See the "Denial of service (DOS)" section in How to secure your server.
*** Warning: Lame delegation for <domain-name> on <dns-server> (<ip-address>)
A "Lame delegation" is when a DNS server, which is listed in the domain registration for a domain, is not configured with any data for that domain.
"Lame delegation" sometimes happen because someone has registered a domain but only has one or no DNS servers, so they simply specify some random DNS servers to act as place-holders, even though none of these servers have a zone defined for the domain in question. Hence the domain is "lame" without a leg to stand on.
If you see this message about your own server ("this server"), you should take steps to correct this immediately.
If the domain-name in question is not yours, do a WHOIS look up to determine the owner, and contact them to change it immediately (they are causing additional traffic on your Internet connection and additional processing for your DNS server ).
If the domain-name is yours - add the zone to your server immediately.
*** Warning: Notify request not sent to <server-name> for <zone-name> - Could not resolve IP address
Changes were made to a primary zone on this server, but the server could not notify (see zone transfers) a secondary DNS server.
This typically means that no A-record is available for the DNS server name specified in the NS-record for the secondary DNS server.
*** Warning: [<server-name>] [<ip-address>] did not respond to Notify request for <zone-name>
Changes were made to a primary zone on this server, but the server did not get any response when trying to notify a secondary DNS server.
This typically means that the secondary server is down, or there is some type of network problem.
*** Warning: Failed to Zone Transfer <zone-name> from <ip-address> (<error-description>)
This server (secondary) could not complete a zone transfer from the primary DNS server.
This could be caused by general network problems or security settings on the primary server.
The server will continuously retry the zone transfer.
*** Warning: Forward server <ip-address> does not offer recursion
One of the forward DNS servers specified in the Options dialog does not offer recursion.
Select a different forward DNS server, or disable forwarding (not needed in most cases).
*** Warning: Error [opening]/[writing] to [raw] log file (<error-description>)
There was a problem writing a log file to disk. The server has temporarily stopped writing to this log file, and will attempt to open the file again in 5 minutes.
*** Error: Application error: <error-description>
In the unlikely event that you should see this error message, please contact support@simpledns.com immediately for assistance.
-> Header: Format Error
Means that the binary structure of a DNS request or reply was not formatted correctly.
This could be caused by network problems, a malfunctioning DNS server, or another TCP/IP program wrongly using port 53.
-> Header: Server Failure
Usually means that some DNS server did not respond or that no NS-record (or associated A-record) existed for a domain name.
Often follows the "*** Warning: Lame delegation..." message (see above).
This could also be caused by network connectivity problems.
-> Header: Name does not exist!
Means that the domain name specified in the request does not exist.
If you know that the domain names does in fact exist, make sure you don't have a <root> zone in the DNS Records window, and make sure the root file is intact (you can copy the original "named.root" file from the Simple DNS Plus directory to the "data" sub-directory).
-> Header: Not implemented
Means that the DNS server queried does not support the query type or record type.
There are many experimental DNS query and record types, and most of these never become generally accepted.
Most DNS server implementations support at least the A, CNAME, MX, NS, PTR and SOA record types.
-> Header: Refused
The queried DNS server refuses to respond - usually due to local security settings.
This most often happens in connection with zone transfers - make sure the primary DNS server allows the secondary servers to zone transfer (see Zone Properties dialog).
-> Header: Name exists when it should not
This header is returned in a response to a dynamic update request.
The update could not be completed because the prerequisites of the update request were not met.
-> Header: Record set exists when it should not
This header is returned in a response to a dynamic update request.
The update could not be completed because the prerequisites of the update request were not met.
-> Header: Record set that should exist does not
This header is returned in a response to a dynamic update request.
The update could not be completed because the prerequisites of the update request were not met.
-> Header: Server not authoritative for zone
This header is returned in a response to a dynamic update request.
The update could not be completed because the server responding is not configured with the zone specified in the update request.
-> Header: Name not contained in zone
This header is returned in a response to a dynamic update request.
The update could not be completed because the update name is not contained within the zone specified in the update request.
-> Header: Invalid transaction signature (BADSIG)
This header is returned in a response to a TSIG signed dynamic update request.
The update could not be completed because the TSIG signature in the update request was invalid.
-> Header: Unknown transaction signature key or algorithm (BADKEY)
This header is returned in a response to a TSIG signed dynamic update request.
The update could not be completed because the server responding is not configured with the TSIG key or signature algorithm used in the update request for the update name.
-> Header: Transaction signature time stamp does not match server time (BADTIME)
This header is returned in a response to a TSIG signed dynamic update request.
The update could not be completed because the time stamp in the TSIG signature did not match the server's time (not within the requested "fudge" interval).
