I'd like to setup DNS for the sake of learning how to do it.

I have broadband internet with a dynamic IP address. I have a domain name registered with no-ip.com. I have a cable modem which runs through a speedstream router with port 80 forwarded to my linux box. Everything works fine, and I can access Apache2 on my Fedora Core 2 box from outside my network using the domain name.

As for DNS, I'm confused. I believe I have named properly configured, as it starts up with no errors, and I can do a reverse lookup on myself with dig. The only problem is, it doesn't seem to be doing anything. When I set no-ip to forward all requests for my domain, apache recieveds and serves all subdomains. When I turn off wildcard forwarding, the only way I can access the site is by the base domain (mysite.org).

Like I said, I have everything setup with virtual servers just fine, but I'd like to learn how to do the same thing with DNS. I've run through every tutorial and read every thread there is. Any help?

You probably need to forward port 53 as well

So I would forward port 53, and turn off wildcard forwarding with no-ip.com. Then all requests for xyz.mysite.org would come looking for my DNS at mysite.org, and thus be able to resolve the name. Is that correct?

When wildcard forwarding is activated, are all those requests being sent to my port 80 (which is the only port Apache is listening to)?

Thanks for the help.

Basically what you need to do in order to make DNS queries to your domain come to your PC, is that you have to have your own box as only NameServer for your domain(ie NS records). I've never registered any domains with no-ip.com before, but you should be able to change the nameserver list for your domain one way or the other. What's going to happen once you've done it, is that any sort of forwarding or any host records you configured on no-ip.com will no longer work, because now your own box is in charge of your domain, not no-ip.com's nameservers, in other words, you don't need no-ip.com any more.

Genereally speaking Nameservers should have static IP, that is because when your IP changes, the first level domain( .org in your case)nameserver will have to replicate this change to its partners, and this can take quite some time (like 1 - 2 days). Which means during that 1-2 days your domain will be down, even though your server is up.

My suggestion is that you've already paid no-ip.com for its services, so why not just use it. If you really want to try out hosting your own DNS server on the internet, what I can suggest is that go sign up for a free subdomain at http://www.afraid.org, delegate your box as the nameserver and play with it.

Yes, I'm starting to think that this is a project for another day, when I have another box to play with as a DNS, and more time on my hands. Thank you for your response.