Directional DNS Troubleshooting Guide

If Directional DNS is not working as expected, use the following steps to identify potential configuration issues and validate routing behavior.

Verify DNS Configuration

1. Confirm DNS records (A, CNAME, etc.) are correctly configured and point to the correct IP addresses for each geographic region.
2. Verify the TTL value is appropriate. A long TTL may cause previous routing behavior to persist longer than expected.
3. Review the Directional DNS configuration to ensure it targets the correct regions, countries, or IP ranges.
4. Confirm there are no overlapping or conflicting rules that could cause ambiguous routing.

Test DNS Resolution

1. Use dig or nslookup to query the hostname from the affected location.
2. Follow the troubleshooting tests outlined here: What are the Directional DNS troubleshooting tests? 
3. Use the Geo IP check tool to confirm how your source IP is classified: Geo IP Check Tool 

Verify Geo-Location Accuracy

Confirm the IP-to-location mapping is accurate. IP geolocation databases may be outdated or inaccurate, which can result in incorrect routing.

• https://www.iplocation.net/
• https://iplocation.com/
• https://tools.keycdn.com/geo

Check Propagation Status

If recent changes were made, confirm global DNS propagation:

• https://dnschecker.org/

Clear Local DNS Cache

Ask affected users to clear their local DNS cache to ensure they are not using cached results:

• Windows: ipconfig /flushdns
• macOS: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache

Cross-Check Using Public Resolvers

• Query the hostname using public DNS resolvers such as Google DNS, Cloudflare, or OpenDNS.
• Compare responses across multiple resolvers to determine whether the issue is resolver-specific.

Firewall and Network Checks

• Confirm firewall rules are not blocking or interfering with DNS traffic.
• Verify there are no network-level filters affecting resolution behavior.

If the Issue Persists

If troubleshooting steps do not resolve the issue, gather the following information and contact UltraDNS Support:

• The affected hostname
• Source IP address used during testing
• dig or nslookup command output
• Expected routing behavior versus actual results
• Date, time, and time zone of testing

Verification

• Confirm the expected IP address is returned for the intended source region.
• Confirm consistent routing behavior across multiple test attempts.

Related Articles

• Directional DNS: Configuring Source IP with Geolocation When Target Is Already in Use
• UltraDNS Support Ticket Template