Using Fortigate as an internal DNS resolver (no Domain)

[AHZeimet]

Hello guys,

we are using a Fortigate F60 as a DNS and DHCP server. The external requests are resolved on each interface via our ISP's DNS servers (override internal DNS -> Mode: forward-only).

It's not possible to resolve the hostnames internally. We don't use a domain but a WORKGROUP. What settings are necessary for this?

Thanks in advance.

[hbac]

Hi @AHZeimet,

If you set Mode: forward-only, all DNS queries will be forwarded to ISP's DNS servers. However, those servers resolve your internal hostnames? 

If you don't have a domain, you can add static DNS entries to FortiGate. Please refer to https://docs.fortinet.com/document/fortigate/7.4.1/administration-guide/960561/fortigate-dns-server

Regards, 

[AHZeimet]

Hi @hbac ,

thanks for your reply. I know that I have to set the ports recursively to answer the internal requests. But I don't know what settings to insert by DNS Database (for DNS Zone and Hostname) and the DNS entries for a workgroup!

[rtanagras]

For DNS Zone, you can type any name you prefer, for example, 'fgtdnszone.' Just imagine it as the identification of your neighbor.

As for the hostname, are you referring to the 'Hostname of Primary DNS'? It's not strictly mandatory for functionality, if your goal is to set up a simple DNS Database for your users, you can leave it as the default because your primary DNS is FortiGate. Just make sure to disable the 'Authoritative' option so that you can still resolve other DNS records not in your specified zone.

If you are talking about the 'Hostname' in the DNS Entry, it is the name associated with the IP address. For example, if you want the IP address 192.168.1.1 to have the name 'fgt1.mycompany.com,' you would enter 'fgt1' as the hostname with the A record type. The 'mycompany.com' is automatically defined when you input the 'Domain Name' in the previous settings.

Remember, there are different types of hostnames in DNS:

A Record: Maps a hostname to an IPv4 address
AAAA Record: Maps a hostname to an IPv6 address
CNAME Record: Creates an alias for a hostname
MX Record: Specifies mail servers for a domain
NS Record: Identifies authoritative name servers for a domain
PTR Record: Maps an IP address to a hostname (reverse lookup)
SOA Record: Contains administrative information about a domain
TXT Record: Stores text information for a domain.