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UbuntuBoy1
Asked: 2021-01-26 15:47:05 +0800 CST

Bind9 - a completely new person

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Forgive me if might appear highly dumb. I would like to make DNS that my PC takes advantage of even more secure. ATM I am using Cloudflare. I was suggested "bind9¨.

Now, as I understand its a software that enables me to host my own DNS server.

My question would then have to be: am I thinking correctly that in order to have my own DNS server I would need to buy an actual hardware, install bind9, configure and use it as my custom DNS. IS it more or less how it works? Sounds like hell of a task and would probably require the server to run all the time..

Help appreciated

networking

1 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    Using bind9 would certainly be one way of having a private DNS server. There are a couple of others that could also fit the bill depending on what you're trying to accomplish and what sort of resources you can assign to the task. First, let's look at the questions/comments:

    Q. Am I thinking correctly that in order to have my own DNS server I would need to buy an actual hardware, install bind9, configure and use it as my custom DNS?

    You could buy dedicated hardware, but you don't have to. If you are running Ubuntu, then you can install bind9 on your own machine and configure Network Manager to use the local DNS.

    Alternatively you could:

    • run a DNS server (or two) in virtual machines
    • run a DNS server (or two) in Docker containers
    • run a DNS server on a Raspberry Pi (or two)

    The question really comes down to "how many devices" will be using the private DNS. If it's just your personal machine, then it may make sense to install a DNS server locally. If you want other devices on your home network to use the same DNS system, then you may want to assign the task to a computer that's always on.

    Q(?). Sounds like hell of a task and would probably require the server to run all the time

    It can be quite difficult if you want it to be, but there are a number of simple tools out there that can make the task much less stressful. Pi-Hole (I dislike this name, but whatever) can be set up to use FTLDNS. Not only would this give you the benefit of ad-blocking, but it would allow you to manage your own DNS. This system can be controlled through a web interface, which also makes things a heck of a lot easier for most people.

    As for having a server run all the time, again, this depends on how many devices will be using the DNS service you set up. If it's just a single device, then you can get away with doing everything locally. If it's for multiple machines on a personal network, then consider taking an old computer out of retirement to be reborn as a DNS server. You don't need a lot of processing power to accomplish the task, which is why so many people use Raspberry Pi devices when hosting their own DNS in the house.

    Hope this answers some of your questions.

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