Resolve DnsName - PowerShell

Overview

The Resolve-DnsName command is a powerful tool in PowerShell that enables users to resolve DNS names and obtain DNS record information. It performs DNS lookups and returns detailed records about the target domain or host. This command is particularly useful for network administrators, system engineers, and anyone who needs to troubleshoot DNS-related issues or manage DNS configurations.

Syntax

Resolve-DnsName [-Name] <string[]> [-Type <string[]>] [-Server <string[]>] [-Zone <string[]>] [-Refresh] [-Cache] [-ErrorAction <ActionPreference>] [-ErrorVariable <string>] [-OutBuffer <int>] [-OutVariable <string>] [<CommonParameters>]

Options/Flags

  • -Name: Accepts a hostname or domain name to resolve.
  • -Type: Specifies the type of DNS record to resolve (e.g., A, AAAA, MX, CNAME).
  • -Server: Used to specify the DNS server to query.
  • -Zone: Filters the results to only include records from a specific DNS zone.
  • -Refresh: Refreshes DNS cache before performing the lookup.
  • -Cache: Forces the command to use cached records, if available.
  • -ErrorAction: Specifies the action to take when an error occurs.
  • -ErrorVariable: Stores any errors encountered during execution in the specified variable.
  • -OutBuffer: Controls the number of objects to buffer.
  • -OutVariable: Assigns the output to a specified variable.

Examples

Simple Lookup:

Resolve-DnsName -Name www.microsoft.com

Lookup by Record Type:

Resolve-DnsName -Name example.com -Type A

Custom DNS Server:

Resolve-DnsName -Name google.com -Server 8.8.8.8

Specific DNS Zone:

Resolve-DnsName -Name company.local -Zone dc1.local

Refresh DNS Cache:

Resolve-DnsName -Name mydomain.com -Refresh

Common Issues

  • Ensure the specified DNS server is reachable and responding.
  • Verify that the hostname or domain name is spelled correctly.
  • Check the DNS record type (e.g., A, AAAA) matches the desired record.
  • Consider disabling the DNS cache using -Cache $false if cached results are outdated.

Integration

PowerShell Scripting:

$dnsRecords = Resolve-DnsName -Name "example.org"
foreach ($record in $dnsRecords) { Write-Host $record }

Integrating with Other Tools:

$dnsRecords = Resolve-DnsName -Name "example.com"
Get-DnsServerResourceRecord -Zone example.com | Where {$_.Name -in $dnsRecords.Name}
  • Get-DnsClient
  • Set-DnsClientServerAddress
  • Remove-DnsClientServerAddress
  • Enable-DnsSEC
  • Disable-DnsSEC