Simple question about DNS cache and Proxy

[danaeckel]

Greetings,

I have a silly question about DNS cache server and proxy server. Are they the same? Also in the home server I am working on, would I want to use BIND (yeah I know it takes a bit to configure). For best performance, what is the best way to go?

Dana

 

[Beeblebrox]

Maybe not exactly what you had in mind, but for small networks (home server) you can just use hosts(5)().

 

[kpa]

A DNS cache server is kind of a proxy server but only for DNS data. You don't need to use BIND unless you have your own domain and you're hosting the nameservers for your domain yourself. For home server a DNS forwarder that acts as a DNS cache is sufficient, I use dns/dnsmasq myself.

 

[danaeckel]

So I take it a proxy doesn't do DNS Cache?

 

[DutchDaemon]

Define what you mean by 'proxy'. It can mean several things.

 

[danaeckel]

Like what Squid does.

 

[DutchDaemon]

Squid simply uses the local resolver(s) as defined in /etc/nsswitch.conf, so usually a hosts file and resolv.conf. The proxy caches downloaded web data, nothing more. If you want to do local DNS caching use one of the resolvers in /usr/ports/dns, like the aforementioned dns/dnsmasq or the one that I use everywhere, dns/unbound. Or just put one or two nameservers in /etc/resolv.conf, like OpenDNS's open nameservers, and be done with any local configuration.