nslookup

For example, if you entered "whatis.com" (which is one of the TechTarget sites), you would receive as a response our IP address, which happens to be :

    65.214.43.37

Or if you entered "65.214.43.37", it would return "sites.techtarget.com".

nslookup sends a domain name query packet to a designated (or defaulted) domain name system (DNS) server. Depending on the system you are using, the default may be the local DNS name server at your service provider, some intermediate name server, or the root server system for the entire domain name system hierarchy.

Using the Linux and possibly other versions of nslookup, you can locate other information associated with the host name or IP address, such as associated mail services. nslookup is included with some Unix-based operating systems and in later Windows systems. In Windows XP, the command can be entered on the "Command prompt" screen. A more limited alternative to nslookup for looking up an IP address is the ping command.

Do you have something to add to this definition? Let us know. Send your comments to techterms@whatis.com

Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us

RELATED CONTENT Losing the war to lock down networks might help enterprises innovate While security concerns cannot be set aside, users unwilling to leave their own applications at home might bring some innovation to the office. Prevent unauthorized USB devices with software restriction policies, third-party apps How to prevent unauthorized USB device use by implementing software restriction policies or by using third-party applications. Can users on my LAN view my computer from other machines? Learn how users on your LAN can view your machines from other computers in this response from network security expert Puneet Mehta.

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary 32-bit IP addressing  (SearchNetworking.com) 32-bit IP addressing is the IP address scheme used in Internet Protocol 4 (IPv6 uses a 128-bit system)... (Continued) ARCNET  (SearchNetworking.com) ARCNET is a widely-installed local area network (LAN) technology that uses a token-bus scheme for managing line sharing among the workstations and...