DNS & Glossary

NS record (Name Server)

The record that delegates authority: it names the servers that answer authoritatively for a zone, forming the backbone of DNS delegation.

What it stores

NS records list the authoritative name servers for a domain. The parent zone (e.g. the .com registry) publishes NS records delegating your domain to your provider's servers, and your zone repeats them at its apex.

ZONE FILE
example.com.   86400   IN   NS   ns1.provider.net.
example.com.   86400   IN   NS   ns2.provider.net.

Why it matters

  • Mismatched NS records between the registrar and your DNS provider cause intermittent resolution failures.
  • At least two name servers are required for redundancy.

Common mistakes

  • Registrar delegation not matching the zone's own NS records (lame delegation).
  • Relying on a single name server, creating a single point of failure.

How WebInspect checks this

  • The Network Inspector reports NS records and checks delegation consistency and resolver behaviour.