[nzlug] XTRA: DNS challenged :-)

[Mark Foster]

> (I think stmp.ihug.co.nz and sntp.ihug.co.nz should resolve - having both 
> worked on the helpdesk we knew about that problem).
>
> Xtra is by far the most useless ISP I have ever dealt with for DNS. I've had 
> to wait up to a week for them to action DNS changes for client (don't most 
> ISPs give you web panels for that now?) and a domain name we moved away from 
> xtra in November was (until today) still being answered authoritatively by 
> Xtra's nameserver - A problem we had nearly 10 years ago when I was doing 
> domains at Ihug.

Xtra's processes (when I was there - 2 years ago) for DNS management were 
very manual. I doubt things have changed a great deal.  Unfortunately my 
guess is that it'll take a complete rebuild for them to put in a web panel 
for it.  Complicating this, though, is that many Xtra customers prefer to 
have someone else doing the hard work for them, I guess.


Respects legacy DNS authority, this is tied to the fact that when the 
billing line item is added to the account, it is treated as a service for 
which there is a charge.  To remove a zone file constitutes cancellation 
of the service, which requires a customers authority; eg; a customer 
transferring a domain away from Xtra should be calling them or emailing 
them, advising them of such, and thereby authorizing the zones to be 
removed.  Most people forget to do this.  (The secret, then, is to check 
the Xtra NS afterward and make sure the zones have been deleted... if not, 
you know what to do.)

(yes, the above screws with the-real-world, even if it is strictly 
speaking the 'right' thing to do from an accounting point of view....)

> I cannot believe people use them for domain names - nevermind that they are 
> THE MOST expensive possible option, their service is terrible.

one-bill-for-everything is still a selling factor, too.

Wildly offtopic, however, the advice above re doublechecking Xtras DNS 
post a domain migration, may be of some value to someone...

Mark.