Is it just me, or are other people having trouble with the GOV domain today. The a.root-server.net doesn't seem to be returning the NS records for the GOV domain. I'm not a 'dig' expert, so what am I doing wrong? Here is a normal DIG response for the COM top-level domain # dig @198.41.0.4 com. ns ; <<>> DiG 2.2 <<>> @198.41.0.4 com. ns ; (1 server found) ;; res options: init recurs defnam dnsrch ;; got answer: ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 10 ;; flags: qr aa rd; Ques: 1, Ans: 11, Auth: 0, Addit: 11 ;; QUESTIONS: ;; com, type = NS, class = IN ;; ANSWERS: com. 518400 NS C.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. com. 518400 NS D.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. com. 518400 NS E.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. com. 518400 NS I.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. com. 518400 NS F.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. com. 518400 NS G.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. com. 518400 NS J.GTLD-SERVERS.NET. com. 518400 NS K.GTLD-SERVERS.NET. com. 518400 NS A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. com. 518400 NS H.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. com. 518400 NS B.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. ;; ADDITIONAL RECORDS: C.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. 3600000 A 192.33.4.12 D.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. 3600000 A 128.8.10.90 E.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. 3600000 A 192.203.230.10 I.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. 3600000 A 192.36.148.17 F.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. 3600000 A 192.5.5.241 G.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. 3600000 A 192.112.36.4 J.GTLD-SERVERS.NET. 518400 A 198.41.0.21 K.GTLD-SERVERS.NET. 518400 A 195.8.99.11 A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. 3600000 A 198.41.0.4 H.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. 3600000 A 128.63.2.53 B.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. 3600000 A 128.9.0.107 ;; Total query time: 261 msec ;; FROM: drgate.dra.com to SERVER: 198.41.0.4 ;; WHEN: Mon Sep 21 18:19:02 1998 ;; MSG SIZE sent: 21 rcvd: 402 Here is a DIG response for the GOV top-level domain, notice it just returns an SOA record for the a.root-servers.net, no NS records. # dig @198.41.0.4 gov. ns ; <<>> DiG 2.2 <<>> @198.41.0.4 gov. ns ; (1 server found) ;; res options: init recurs defnam dnsrch ;; got answer: ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NXDOMAIN, id: 10 ;; flags: qr aa rd; Ques: 1, Ans: 0, Auth: 1, Addit: 0 ;; QUESTIONS: ;; gov, type = NS, class = IN ;; AUTHORITY RECORDS: . 86400 SOA A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. hostmaster.INTERNIC.NET. ( 1998092000 ; serial 1800 ; refresh (30 mins) 900 ; retry (15 mins) 604800 ; expire (7 days) 86400 ) ; minimum (1 day) ;; Total query time: 269 msec ;; FROM: drgate.dra.com to SERVER: 198.41.0.4 ;; WHEN: Mon Sep 21 18:18:50 1998 ;; MSG SIZE sent: 21 rcvd: 94 Here is a DIG response for a non-existant top-level domain, same type of response as for the GOV domain. # dig @198.41.0.4 kasdgkasdgk. ns ; <<>> DiG 2.2 <<>> @198.41.0.4 kasdgkasdgk. ns ; (1 server found) ;; res options: init recurs defnam dnsrch ;; got answer: ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NXDOMAIN, id: 10 ;; flags: qr aa rd; Ques: 1, Ans: 0, Auth: 1, Addit: 0 ;; QUESTIONS: ;; kasdgkasdgk, type = NS, class = IN ;; AUTHORITY RECORDS: . 86400 SOA A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. hostmaster.INTERNIC.NET. ( 1998092000 ; serial 1800 ; refresh (30 mins) 900 ; retry (15 mins) 604800 ; expire (7 days) 86400 ) ; minimum (1 day) ;; Total query time: 273 msec ;; FROM: drgate.dra.com to SERVER: 198.41.0.4 ;; WHEN: Mon Sep 21 18:23:23 1998 ;; MSG SIZE sent: 29 rcvd: 102 -- Sean Donelan, Data Research Associates, Inc, St. Louis, MO Affiliation given for identification not representation