Comprehensive troubleshooting guide for diagnosing and resolving Windows DNS Server issues.

Diagnostic Tools

PowerShell Diagnostics

# Test DNS resolution
Resolve-DnsName "www.contoso.com" -Server "192.168.1.10"

# Test DNS server connectivity
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "192.168.1.10" -Port 53

# Check DNS server configuration
Get-DnsServerSetting

Event Log Analysis

# Check DNS server events
Get-WinEvent -LogName "DNS Server" -MaxEvents 50

# Filter for errors
Get-WinEvent -LogName "DNS Server" | Where-Object LevelDisplayName -eq "Error"

Common Issues

Zone Transfer Problems

# Check zone transfer settings
Get-DnsServerZoneTransferPolicy -ZoneName "contoso.com"

# Test zone transfer
Start-DnsServerZoneTransfer -ZoneName "contoso.com"

Resolution Failures

# Check forwarders
Get-DnsServerForwarder

# Test root hints
Test-DnsServer -IPAddress "192.168.1.10" -ZoneName "."

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Pro Tip: Use DNS debug logging sparingly in production environments as it can generate large log files and impact performance.

Systematic troubleshooting techniques ensure rapid resolution of DNS service issues.