I was putting up a domain for a local charity (www.PawlingLibrary.org) the other night and, as sometimes happens, didn't quite get all of the details correct in our name server configuration.

As also sometimes happens in these situations, things look fine from "inside" our server and the problem only occured "outside" on the 'net. To borrow from the Bard; therein lies a major rub.

To check name server issues outside on the internet you generally have to wait for your name data to propogate around the 'net. This can be a long, long time.

Thank fully some folks who are both smart and very nice have put some tools out on the 'net to help with just these situations. And some other folks have generously gathered a few together in one place.

The simplest but sweetest of the sweet DNS tools on the web is at DNSreport.com. Barebones to the marrow, but directly to the point of checking your current DNS records as seen from out on the 'net. No waiting for propogation out and around the 'net. Just go-now-and-check the authoritative server for the domain you're checking and report back what you see.

It has two fields. One checks thecurrent DNS authoritative record based on a domain name that you give it. The other field is for checking the MX record for either a domain name or for a complete internet email address. Saahweeet.

The super handy and very thoughtful collection of DNS tools on the web is at DNSstuff.com. However you need to lookup a domain or an IP address, the tool you need is listed and linked to at "DNS Stuff".

They have them assembled by "Domain Name Tests", IP address tests and "Hostname tests". It includes links to spam database checks, remote pings, traceroutes, DNS timing checks and, of course, the aforementioned "DNSreport.com." DNSstuff is a wonderfully helpful site and highly recommended by yours truly.

This'll work, for sure.