Command Syntax

nslookup -type=MX example.com ; dig example.com MX

What It Does

Both perform DNS lookups, but dig provides richer diagnostic detail.

When to Use It

Use nslookup for quick built-in checks and dig for advanced troubleshooting.

Example Output

nslookup is concise; dig includes full packet context and timing.

How to Interpret Results

Most discrepancies come from resolver choice rather than the tool itself.

How DNS Panopticon Detects This

  • Relevant checks: Delegation integrity, resolver consistency, DNSSEC health, and suspicious record-pattern checks.
  • Severity mapping: Informational, medium/high, or critical based on exploitability and user impact.
  • Score impact: Reliability and security scoring dimensions are reduced according to blast radius.
  • Related findings users will see: NS drift, validation failure, orphaned CNAMEs, wildcard exposure, and policy misconfiguration alerts.

Operator Checklist

  • Verify behavior from at least two public resolvers and one resolver inside your own network before making changes.
  • Make one change at a time, capture before/after query output, and wait for TTL windows to clear so you can confirm impact.
  • Document the root cause and the final fix in your runbook to shorten future incidents.