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CFi DNS Lookup Tools Compared: Which One to Use

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How to Run a CFi DNS Lookup — Step-by-Step GuideCFi (Cacheflow Intelligence) DNS Lookup is a diagnostic process used to query Domain Name System (DNS) records through CFi-specific resolvers or tools that integrate with CFi’s caching and analytics infrastructure. This guide walks you through why and when to use a CFi DNS lookup, how DNS lookups generally work, and step-by-step instructions for running a CFi DNS lookup from common platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux), using both command-line tools and web-based interfaces. Troubleshooting tips and best practices for interpreting results are included.

What is a CFi DNS Lookup and why use it?

A CFi DNS Lookup queries DNS records using resolvers or tools associated with CFi’s services to obtain hostname resolutions, look up record types (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, etc.), and inspect cache behavior or analytics data specific to CFi’s infrastructure. Use cases include:

  • Verifying hostname resolution as seen by CFi resolvers.
  • Troubleshooting content caching or CDN behavior when CFi is involved.
  • Confirming DNS propagation and TTL values in CFi caches.
  • Diagnosing DNS-based blocking, filtering, or misconfigurations observed by CFi.

DNS basics (brief)

DNS maps human-readable domain names to IP addresses and other resource records. Common record types:

  • A — IPv4 address
  • AAAA — IPv6 address
  • CNAME — Canonical name (alias)
  • MX — Mail exchange servers
  • TXT — Text records (including SPF, DKIM)
  • NS — Authoritative name servers
  • SOA — Start of authority (zone metadata)

A lookup normally involves a client querying a resolver (recursive or authoritative). CFi DNS lookup focuses on what CFi resolvers return and how CFi’s caching or analytics layer presents those results.

Before you start: prerequisites

  • The domain name or hostname you want to query.
  • Access to a machine with network connectivity.
  • Optional: API credentials or access to CFi’s web tools/dashboard if you need analytics or cache details beyond raw DNS answers.

Step-by-step: Running a CFi DNS lookup

Below are methods for different environments. Replace example.com with the domain you’re testing.

1) Using command-line tools (Linux / macOS / Windows WSL)

These steps use dig and nslookup. If you specifically need to query a CFi resolver address, include its IP (for example 10.0.0.1 or a public CFi resolver IP you were given).

  1. Open a terminal.

  2. Basic dig query:

    dig example.com

    This queries your system’s default resolver. To query a CFi resolver directly:

    dig @<CFi-resolver-IP> example.com

  3. Query specific record types:

    dig @<CFi-resolver-IP> example.com A dig @<CFi-resolver-IP> example.com AAAA dig @<CFi-resolver-IP> example.com CNAME dig @<CFi-resolver-IP> example.com MX dig @<CFi-resolver-IP> example.com TXT

  4. Show full details including authority and additional sections:

    dig @<CFi-resolver-IP> example.com +noall +answer +authority +additional +comments

  5. Use +trace to follow the resolution path from root (useful to compare with CFi’s recursive results):

    dig @<CFi-resolver-IP> example.com +trace

nslookup (Windows or cross-platform):

nslookup example.com <CFi-resolver-IP> set type=MX example.com

2) Using Windows GUI (Command Prompt / PowerShell)

  1. Open PowerShell or Command Prompt.
  2. Use nslookup: 
    
nslookup server <CFi-resolver-IP> set type=any example.com exit
  3. Or use Resolve-DnsName (PowerShell) to query a specific server: 
    
Resolve-DnsName -Name example.com -Server <CFi-resolver-IP> -Type A Resolve-DnsName -Name example.com -Server <CFi-resolver-IP> -Type TXT

3) Using macOS Network Utility or dig

macOS users can use Terminal (dig) as shown above. Older macOS versions included Network Utility where you can perform lookup queries, but Terminal remains the most versatile.

4) Using web-based tools and CFi dashboard

If CFi provides a web console or API:

  • Log into the CFi dashboard.
  • Find the DNS diagnostic or lookup tool.
  • Enter the domain name and select the record type and the region/resolver if available.
  • Run the lookup and review results, which may include cache metadata, TTL, and CFi-specific analytics (cache hit/miss, latency, edge location).

If CFi exposes an API, typical usage is:

  • Authenticate with API credentials.
  • Send a GET/POST to the DNS endpoint with domain and record type parameters.
  • Parse JSON/XML response for records and metadata.

Example (conceptual):

GET https://api.cfi.example/dns/lookup?name=example.com&type=A Authorization: Bearer <API_TOKEN>

5) Interpreting results

Key fields you’ll typically see:

  • Answer section — the resolved records (A, AAAA, CNAME, etc.).
  • TTL — time-to-live; low TTL suggests frequent refreshes.
  • Authority section — authoritative name servers for the domain.
  • Additional section — extra info like glue records or related records.
  • Status/rcode — NOERROR, NXDOMAIN, SERVFAIL, etc. NXDOMAIN means the name doesn’t exist.
  • CFi-specific metadata — cache hit/miss, edge node, observed latency (if provided by CFi dashboard/API).

Common interpretations:

  • Cache hit with expected TTL: CFi served a cached response.
  • Cache miss + recursive lookup: CFi queried authoritative servers upstream.
  • NXDOMAIN from CFi but exists elsewhere: indicates possible filtering or split-horizon behavior.
  • Different A/AAAA records between CFi and other resolvers: could indicate geolocation-based responses, CDN behavior, or differing zone data.

Troubleshooting

  • If queries to the CFi resolver time out:
    • Check network connectivity and firewall rules.
    • Verify the resolver IP and port (DNS typically uses UDP/TCP port 53; DoH/DoT use different ports).
  • If you get SERVFAIL:
    • Try querying authoritative nameservers directly to isolate resolver vs. zone issues.
  • If results differ from other resolvers:
    • Compare with public resolvers (1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8) and authoritative servers.
    • Consider split-horizon DNS or geo-aware CDN behavior.
  • If TXT/SPF/DKIM records are truncated:
    • Request DNS over TCP or use dig +tcp to fetch full records.
  • If you need historical or analytic data:
    • Use CFi dashboard or API, since raw DNS tools won’t show cache hit/miss history.

Best practices

  • When troubleshooting, always test multiple record types and query both CFi and authoritative servers.
  • Use dig +short for concise outputs when scripting: 
    
dig @<CFi-resolver-IP> example.com A +short
  • Include explicit resolver IPs in tests to avoid local resolver caches affecting results.
  • Record timestamps and TTLs to understand caching behavior over time.
  • Use secure channels (DNS over TLS/HTTPS) if you need encrypted queries and if CFi supports them (DoT/DoH).

Example workflow (quick)

  1. Query CFi resolver for A record: 
    
dig @<CFi-resolver-IP> example.com A +noall +answer
  2. Query authoritative NS: 
    
dig @ns1.example-authoritative.com example.com A +noall +answer
  3. Compare TTLs and addresses; check CFi dashboard for cache info.

Final notes

A CFi DNS lookup is largely the same technical DNS query process as with any resolver, but you’re specifically targeting or using CFi’s resolvers/tools to observe how CFi’s systems resolve and cache DNS records. Use both command-line tools and the CFi dashboard/API (if available) for the most complete picture.

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