Help with DNS record explanation please

Hello folks, this really cheeky, if you've got a moment can you explain these record types or give me a link. I know a little, like I guess the first one is mail. I was wondering what the specific syntax meant, e.g. MX:10,*,@, the . after com and why is the first one in plain-English and the rest in numerals. Didn't realise it was so 'subtle'.

Cheers anyway.

@ MX :10 nicmail3.iomart.com.
@ A 62.233.121.5
www A 62.233.121.5
* A 62.233.121.5

ItchySox

Woah! I wish I hadn't asked.

My dear feet, this is deep.

http://www.zytrax.com/books/dns/ch8/mx.html

See you in a decade...

ItchySox

MX means mail server, the 10 is an arbituary figure (you might have n mailservers) and the nicmail3.com is the mailserver address. The A records are the IP of the www server. NS are the NameServers. C records are for mapping things like subdomains and those www2 addresses you used to see.

Ah, thanks.

ItchySox

In reply to:

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MX means mail server, the 10 is an arbituary figure (you might have n mailservers) and the nicmail3.com is the mailserver address.

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That arbitrary "10" in the MX record might appear arbitrary in the sense that you have "n" different numbers there if you have "n" mailservers, but IIRC that "10" is a preference or priority that indicates which mailserver is to be used before which other mailserver, with the lowest numbers being "preferred" over the higher numbers.

http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1035.html

--rlparker
--DreamHost Tech Support

Yeah, I could have expounded on it. I meant that it's arbitrary unless you have n mailservers.

People relying on webhosts don't (usually) require MX hierarchy.

In reply to:

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People relying on webhosts don't (usually) require MX hierarchy.

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That is very true ... sorry for being a bit pedantic there

--rlparker
--DreamHost Tech Support

haha I'm just glad you didn't bold my spelling mistake.

I mean typo!