Ubuntu 18.04: Install BIND for DNS server

This article will describe installing BIND and running DNS server for private network.

1 Install BIND

Install bind9 with apt.

sudo apt-get install -y bind9

2 Configuration

Private network address is 192.168.11.0/24.
Private network name is hiroom2.com.
IP address of DNS server for private network is 192.168.11.70. This DNS server uses recursive query.
IP address of client is 192.168.11.250.
IP address of DNS server for internet is 192.168.11.1.

2.1 /etc/bind/named.conf.options

This is the configration file for BIND option.

Allow query from private network.
Allow recursive query.
Open 53/udp and 53/tcp if you running ufw.

options {
  directory "/var/cache/bind";
  listen-on port 53 { localhost; 192.168.11.0/24; };
  allow-query { localhost; 192.168.11.0/24; };
  forwarders { 192.168.11.1; };
  recursion yes;
}

2.2 /etc/bind/named.conf.local

This configuration file for private network is included by /etc/bind/named.conf.

zone "hiroom2.com" IN {
  type master;
  file "hiroom2.com.zone";
};

2.3 /var/cache/bind/hiroom2.com.zone

This is a zone file for private network.

DNS server hostname is server.
Client hostname is client.
If you need more, append A record.

$TTL 86400

@ IN SOA hiroom2.com root.hiroom2.com (
  2018050600
  3600
  900
  604800
  86400
)

@      IN NS server
server IN A  192.168.11.70
client IN A  192.168.11.250

3 Validation

named-checkconf validates /etc/bind/named.conf and included files.

$ named-checkconf

named-checkzone validates zone file.

$ /usr/sbin/named-checkzone hiroom2.com /var/cache/bind/hiroom2.com.zone
zone hiroom2.com/IN: loaded serial 2018050600
OK

4 Run BIND

Run BIND with systemd.

sudo systemctl enable bind9
sudo systemctl restart bind9

5 Excution result

Run nslookup on server.

$ nslookup server.hiroom2.com localhost.localdomain
Server:         localhost.localdomain
Address:        ::1#53

Name:   server.hiroom2.com
Address: 192.168.11.70

Run nslookup on client.

$ nslookup client.hiroom2.com 192.168.11.70
Server:         192.168.11.70
Address:        192.168.11.70#53

Name:   client.hiroom2.com
Address: 192.168.11.250