Bigpipe Reverse DNS

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Bigpipe Reverse DNS

TheoM

228 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#230264 15-Feb-2018 19:15

Hey there GZers!

So I was going about my daily business, moving from Spark to Bigpipe. I then asked if they could set a reverse DNS record on my (static) IP, to which they said they can't. That kinda sucks, although the v6 is nice. It's my understanding that only Bigpipe can set rDNS (if I'm correct -- feel free to correct me if I'm wrong).

This puts a kink in my plans (I run staging mail servers, and no rDNS means they could likely be ignored when sending mail). I don't want to switch (on account of the v6), but is there nothing I can do?

Hi! I'm TheoM, but you know that already. I run Linux mirrors in NZ together with 2degrees. Like a mirror added? PM me!

https://theom.co.nz | https://theom.nz | https://mirrorlist.mirrors.theom.nz | Providing Free Mirrors Since Ages Ago™

Lias

5575 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1958778 15-Feb-2018 20:21

Really? That's a bit piss poor. If you pay them for a static being able to get the rDNS set for it should be a no brainer.

I'm a geek, a gamer, a dad, a Quic user, and an IT Professional. I have a full rack home lab, size 15 feet, an epic beard and Asperger's. I'm a bit of a Cypherpunk, who believes information wants to be free and the Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it. If you use my Quic signup you can also use the code R570394EKGIZ8 for free setup.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

TheoM

228 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1958783 15-Feb-2018 20:34

Lias:

Really? That's a bit piss poor. If you pay them for a static being able to get the rDNS set for it should be a no brainer.

This is true. I switched from Spark because IPv6 and I kinda expected rDNS if I'm paying for a static IP

Hi! I'm TheoM, but you know that already. I run Linux mirrors in NZ together with 2degrees. Like a mirror added? PM me!

https://theom.co.nz | https://theom.nz | https://mirrorlist.mirrors.theom.nz | Providing Free Mirrors Since Ages Ago™

jnimmo

1096 posts

Uber Geek

#1958792 15-Feb-2018 20:49

I think rDNS being offered by any residential ISPs is going above and beyond so wouldn't be expecting it

Lias

5575 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1958837 15-Feb-2018 22:51

jnimmo:

I think rDNS being offered by any residential ISPs is going above and beyond so wouldn't be expecting it

I don't see why.

Just because I want a connection at home doesn't mean I don't want advanced features. I'd say a decently large number of the people who get static IP's do so because they are hosting some kind of server at home, in that light rDNS make a lot of sense.

Mind you I might be biased because I have a 42u rack in my lounge :-)

lxsw20

3512 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#1958849 16-Feb-2018 00:03

If you want advanced features get a business line. I'd say one of the very reasons they don't offer rdns is so people don't try host business services on a residential connection.

TheoM

228 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1958850 16-Feb-2018 00:37

lxsw20:

If you want advanced features get a business line.

rDNS is by no means advanced. No more advanced than running complementary forward-lookup DNS is. I run a mail server that I use to create filters at home. All it does all day is improve SpamAssasin with heuristics. It then emails the resulting filter to me to apply elsewhere. I also use it for personal mail. That plan falls apart without rDNS.

lxsw20:

I'd say one of the very reasons they don't offer rdns is so people don't try host business services on a residential connection.

At this point we're stepping into the territory of "everything is a business service".

OT: If everything is a business service, then why do we have residential internet at all? It is after all, a business service. As an aside: Is running the likes of Dovecot/Postfix and Apache or Nginx on standard ports really considered business use? What about Plex or Minecraft or... you get the idea

Lias:

jnimmo:

I think rDNS being offered by any residential ISPs is going above and beyond so wouldn't be expecting it

I don't see why.

Just because I want a connection at home doesn't mean I don't want advanced features. I'd say a decently large number of the people who get static IP's do so because they are hosting some kind of server at home, in that light rDNS make a lot of sense.

Mind you I might be biased because I have a 42u rack in my lounge :-)

One of the reasons I use rDNS is IRC. I like my hostname to match my email. That's not business use, but as above, you could argue it is

Hi! I'm TheoM, but you know that already. I run Linux mirrors in NZ together with 2degrees. Like a mirror added? PM me!

https://theom.co.nz | https://theom.nz | https://mirrorlist.mirrors.theom.nz | Providing Free Mirrors Since Ages Ago™

michaelmurfy

meow
13191 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1958851 16-Feb-2018 01:09

BigPipe are a no frills ISP. They offer a Static IP but that is it. AFAIK there are many ISP's out there who won't do rDNS on a residential connection as there is no real need to and the ones who do will only do so for a monthly fee these days as it is considered a business service.

You're reading too far into it. If you want rDNS then set up a VM with a provider that offers it and host your services through there or change providers to a likely more expensive and niche one who does offer it. Even with me being an advanced user (having a home server lab and all) really don't have a use for rDNS on my home connection. Furthermore, you're asking for trouble if you're hosting email on a home connection (many residential ISP's will also block this to prevent spam). Leave this to an actual service provider (Zoho mail is also free) or host it on a virtual machine if you want a self-hosted solution.

Running a web server doesn't require rDNS so your argument there is also invalid. Your use case with IRC is really niche and can be solved with a cheap Linux VM running IRSSI somewhere on the internet. BigPipe don't provide a contract so you're also free to change providers if you really want rDNS.

TL;DR - you're asking too much from a no frills ISP and this has been discussed before.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
Referral Links: Quic Broadband (use R122101E7CV7Q for free setup)

Are you happy with what you get from Geekzone? Please consider supporting us by subscribing.
Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

lxsw20

3512 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#1958852 16-Feb-2018 04:13

TheoM:

lxsw20:

If you want advanced features get a business line.

rDNS is by no means advanced. No more advanced than running complementary forward-lookup DNS is. I run a mail server that I use to create filters at home. All it does all day is improve SpamAssasin with heuristics. It then emails the resulting filter to me to apply elsewhere. I also use it for personal mail. That plan falls apart without rDNS.

lxsw20:

I'd say one of the very reasons they don't offer rdns is so people don't try host business services on a residential connection.

At this point we're stepping into the territory of "everything is a business service".

OT: If everything is a business service, then why do we have residential internet at all? It is after all, a business service. As an aside: Is running the likes of Dovecot/Postfix and Apache or Nginx on standard ports really considered business use? What about Plex or Minecraft or... you get the idea

Lias:

jnimmo:

I think rDNS being offered by any residential ISPs is going above and beyond so wouldn't be expecting it

I don't see why.

Just because I want a connection at home doesn't mean I don't want advanced features. I'd say a decently large number of the people who get static IP's do so because they are hosting some kind of server at home, in that light rDNS make a lot of sense.

Mind you I might be biased because I have a 42u rack in my lounge :-)

One of the reasons I use rDNS is IRC. I like my hostname to match my email. That's not business use, but as above, you could argue it is

Yeah? And how many home users run their own mail server? You have a basic home connection, that's all. Host it in AWS/Azure or something if you really need your own mail server.

TheoM

228 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1958950 16-Feb-2018 09:49

lxsw20:

Yeah? And how many home users run their own mail server? You have a basic home connection, that's all. Host it in AWS/Azure or something if you really need your own mail server.

This is getting way OT, but I can name at least 20 friends who do

Hi! I'm TheoM, but you know that already. I run Linux mirrors in NZ together with 2degrees. Like a mirror added? PM me!

https://theom.co.nz | https://theom.nz | https://mirrorlist.mirrors.theom.nz | Providing Free Mirrors Since Ages Ago™

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1958955 16-Feb-2018 09:58

TheoM:

lxsw20:

Yeah? And how many home users run their own mail server? You have a basic home connection, that's all. Host it in AWS/Azure or something if you really need your own mail server.

This is getting way OT, but I can name at least 20 friends who do

Wow. I couldn't name a single person I know who hosts there own mail and I'd struggle to name 20 of our business customers who even host their own mail now. Nobody does it due to the massive implications of doing so.

I gave up hosting my own mail 15 years ago and am really surprised anybody would even contemplate such a thing these days.

At the end of the day as posted above like CG-NAT requiring reverse DNS records is not something 99.9% of users need. If it's critical you obviously need to scope the requirements for a provider before switching. At the end of the day Bigpipe is a low cost provider, not a full service one and to use an analogy is a bit like having expectations of a turn down service at a backpackers because the last 5* hotel had it.

TheoM

228 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1958983 16-Feb-2018 10:07

sbiddle:

TheoM:

lxsw20:

Yeah? And how many home users run their own mail server? You have a basic home connection, that's all. Host it in AWS/Azure or something if you really need your own mail server.

This is getting way OT, but I can name at least 20 friends who do

Wow. I couldn't name a single person I know who hosts there own mail and I'd struggle to name 20 of our business customers who even host their own mail now. Nobody does it due to the massive implications of doing so.

I gave up hosting my own mail 15 years ago and am really surprised anybody would even contemplate such a thing these days.

At the end of the day as posted above like CG-NAT requiring reverse DNS records is not something 99.9% of users need. If it's critical you obviously need to scope the requirements for a provider before switching. At the end of the day Bigpipe is a low cost provider, not a full service one and to use an analogy is a bit like having expectations of a turn down service at a backpackers because the last 5* hotel had it.

This is true. Other than rDNS (which I'll fix with a tunnel), bigpipe's service is rock solid (as a bonus I'm using the equipment Spark told me must be defective because of network drops -- a USG 3P). The controller even has IPv6 support now

Hi! I'm TheoM, but you know that already. I run Linux mirrors in NZ together with 2degrees. Like a mirror added? PM me!

https://theom.co.nz | https://theom.nz | https://mirrorlist.mirrors.theom.nz | Providing Free Mirrors Since Ages Ago™

robjg63

4087 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#1959065 16-Feb-2018 12:00

TheoM:

lxsw20:

Yeah? And how many home users run their own mail server? You have a basic home connection, that's all. Host it in AWS/Azure or something if you really need your own mail server.

This is getting way OT, but I can name at least 20 friends who do

I dont know anyone either.

Even moved our work email from our own server to MS Outlook365 because it wasnt worth doing it ourselves anymore.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

jnimmo

1096 posts

Uber Geek

#1959078 16-Feb-2018 12:25

Lias:

jnimmo:

I think rDNS being offered by any residential ISPs is going above and beyond so wouldn't be expecting it

I don't see why.

Just because I want a connection at home doesn't mean I don't want advanced features. I'd say a decently large number of the people who get static IP's do so because they are hosting some kind of server at home, in that light rDNS make a lot of sense.

Mind you I might be biased because I have a 42u rack in my lounge :-)

I'm not saying that there aren't reasons to want rDNS at home - all I meant was personally if I was setting up mass market, low cost ISP, I wouldn't be mucking around providing services like rDNS.

If I was setting up an ISP to provide services to enterprise customers + home customers, absolutely would need the facilities to do that.

The big iron ISPs who have business and home customers will have this functionality, i.e. 2degrees etc. But don't expect it from low cost, residential only ISPs.

Lias

5575 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1959102 16-Feb-2018 12:50

I also know dozens of people who run servers at home, and many of them including myself have racks full of kit.

None of its for business purposes.

Also FWIW I've never personally considered BigPipe a no frills ISP, I'd always considered it an ISP targeted at advanced users who didn't NEED extra support (e.g. the sort of people who might want oh I dunno, static IP's, rDNS, their own /30, etc :-P)

TheoM

228 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1959105 16-Feb-2018 12:55

Lias:

I also know dozens of people who run servers at home, and many of them including myself have racks full of kit.

None of its for business purposes.

Also FWIW I've never personally considered BigPipe a no frills ISP, I'd always considered it an ISP targeted at advanced users who didn't NEED extra support (e.g. the sort of people who might want oh I dunno, static IP's, rDNS, their own /30, etc :-P)

And to think I was discussing establishing a BGP session with them so I could use my own blocks. With Bigpipe's pricing matching Spark's in the high end you'd not be able to guess they're a no frills ISP. I love the fact that they let you experiment on their network with new kit, and that's probably not the best for most users, but for people like myself and @Lias, it's heaven. Heh.

If you're going to be charging the same amount as Spark ($129/mo [900/400]), then I do kinda expect you to be able to provide basic network services (which rDNS is, as is DNS). It's then totally up to me whether or not I want to use your servers or my own, or Google's.

Hi! I'm TheoM, but you know that already. I run Linux mirrors in NZ together with 2degrees. Like a mirror added? PM me!

https://theom.co.nz | https://theom.nz | https://mirrorlist.mirrors.theom.nz | Providing Free Mirrors Since Ages Ago™