DNS Server – datasheet

Product Properties

Package nameDNS Server
Application nameDNS Server
Volume selectableyes
Dependenciesno
Service name (SSH)pkgctl-DNSServer
Shared Folderno
Home Folderno
Licensingno
Hyper Backup supportyes
Certificate selectionno
Privilegesno
Application portalno
Firewall portport 53 (all protocols) and port 53535 (UDP)
Date29 April 2021
Version2.2.3
DSM6.2.4


Functionality

The Domain Name System (DNS) helps users find Internet applications, computers, or other network devices by translating domain names into IP addresses. With DNS Server, your Synology product can host multiple zones and provide name and IP address resolution services.

Installation

Install the package DNS Server from Package Center. This adds the DNS Server application to the main menu and installs a service.

synology, dns server, logo, dsm6

If you have the firewall enabled on your NAS, you get a firewall notification to open port 53 (all protocols) and port 53535 (UDP) after installation.

If you use Hyper Backup on your NAS, consider adding the DNS Server application to a backup task.

Prerequisite

The Synology NAS you install the DNS Server on must have a static IP address on your local network. You can check and set this via Control Panel > Network > Network Interface tab. Select the network interface and click Edit.

You either have set a manual configuration or choose the automatic configuration (DHCP). Still, you have made a reservation for the network interface in the DHCP server of your network, typically your internet router or both (reservation and manual configuration).

Configuration

The configuration of a DNS Server fully depends on what you want to achieve with it. There are three parts.
One, you configure forwarders. Two, you configure zones. Third, there are general settings for the server itself.

A zone is either master or slave and forward or reverse lookup. After creating a zone, you might want to add resource records to the zone or PTR records if it is a reverse lookup zone.

Logging and notification

The DNS Server has its logging that you find in the application.

Stop and run

You can both stop and start the DNS Server service from the Package Center. Look it up among the installed packages. Please select it and change its status when Package Center opens its page with the arrow next to the button.

You can also stop the DNS Server service via SSH.

Uninstall and removal

Before you uninstall the DNS Server, ensure it is not included in any backup task of Hyper Backup. Remove DNS Server from that task to prevent errors during backup.

You can uninstall the DNS Server via Package Center. As a precaution, check that the DNS Server and the installed zones are not used anymore. Clients on the network do not rely on the DNS Server.

Notes

Some good resources that can help you better understand DNS:

Rob Pickering on DNS Server: https://robpickering.com/configuring-synology-for-forward-and-reverse-internal-dns-resolution/

Synology DSM guide on DNS Server: https://www.synology.com/en-us/knowledgebase/DSM/help/DNSServer/dns_server_desc

Thanks for reading

This post is donation-ware, and I made it to help you. Please consider leaving a comment or buying me a coffee if it did. I will be eternally grateful.

Paul Steunebrink / Storage Alchemist

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