NsLookup

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What Does NsLookup Mean?

NsLookup is a tool included in many operating systems that can look up IP addresses and perform other searches on DNS domains and servers. This resource is housed in a utility called nslookup.exe. NsLookup is a basic way to get fundamental DNS information quickly and easily.

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Techopedia Explains NsLookup

NsLookup is typically a command-line tool, which means that it uses the command-line structure familiar to many users who have used older PC-DOS operating systems. In order to use command-line tools, users may have to shell out of a Windows-based environment in order to access the command-line interface.

In addition to looking up server information, NsLookup can be used to test IP connections. Users can set items like retry and timeout, designate a root server, or get debugging information. NsLookup can also be used to check mail exchanger or MX records that designate routing for emails according to what servers are attached to a particular domain. A full list of possible commands is available in NsLookup with the command "?" or "help."

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist
Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.