Microsoft KB Archive/198551

= NSLOOKUP Returns Time-out Error When Query for an MX Record =

Article ID: 198551

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Enterprise Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
 * Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server 4.0
 * Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server 4.0a

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This article was previously published under Q198551



SYMPTOMS
If you use Nslookup.exe to query for a Mail Exchanger record (MX), it may fail with the following error:


 * Request to  timed-out

NOTE:  is the host name of the DNS server you are querying.



CAUSE
If the DNS server that you are querying has an MX record in the DNS zone similar to

  domainname.example.microsoft.com. MX   10    192.168.1.1

you may see the error mentioned above.



RESOLUTION
Change the MX record to point to a host name that will then, in turn, resolve to the same IP address. For example, in the domainname.com zone, make the following change:

  domainname.example.microsoft.com. MX 10 host1.domainname.example.microsoft.com host1                            A  192.168.1.1



STATUS
This behavior is by design. According to RFC 974:

Each MX matches a domain name with two pieces of data, a preference value (an unsigned 16-bit integer), and the name of a host.

Keywords: kbprb KB198551

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