DNS NsLookup using Powershell
Network Component provides an easy-to-use development interface to a variety of IP protocols. By using Network Component, you can very easily create or enhance applications with network features.
Network Component features the following: DNS, FTP, HTTP, HTTPs, ICMP Ping, IP-to-Country, MSN, NTP, RSH, SCP, SFTP, SNMP v1/v2c (Get, GetNext, Set), SNMP Traps, SNMP MIB, SSH, TCP, Telnet, TFTP, UDP, Telnet, Wake-On-LAN and more.
Network Component can be well integrated into any development platform that supports ActiveX objects.
The Domain Name System (DNS) is the method by which Internet addresses in mnemonic form - such as www.activexperts.com - are converted into the equivalent numeric IP address such as 212.97.55.136. To the user and application process this translation is a service provided either by the local host or from a remote host via the Internet. The DNS server (or resolver) may communicate with other Internet DNS servers if it cannot translate the address itself. DNS names are constructed hierarchically. The highest level of the hierarchy is the last component or label of the DNS address. Labels can be up to 63 characters long and are not case sensitive. A maximum length of 255 characters is allowed. Labels must start with a letter and can only consist of letters, digits and hyphens.
Nslookup is a popular program for UNIX, Linux and Windows to query Internet domain name servers. It allows the user to query name servers for information about various hosts and domains or to print a list of hosts in a domain.
Step 1: Download and install the Network Component
Download Network Component from the ActiveXperts Download Site and start the installation. The installation guides you through the installation process.
Step 2: Create a new script
Create a new script using your favorite editor. You can simply use notepad. However, a Powershell editor is recommended, so you can browse through objects, objects properties and object functions.
Step 3: Create the Network Component object in Powershell
Create a new Powershell file called DEMO.PS1.
Create the Network Component object(s) like this:
$objDnsServer = new-object -comobject AxNetwork.DnsServer
Now, add the following lines to the file to have your first Network Component Powershell program:
Write-Host "Network Component Version " $objDnsServer.Version Write-Host " Build " $objDnsServer.Build Write-Host " Module " $objDnsServer.Module Write-Host "License Status: " $objDnsServer.LicenseStatus
Appendix: Full source code
You can now connect to a (remote) DNS server and execute a query.
The following Powershell code shows how to lookup a hostname (A-record) and print its IP address:
# *******************************************************************
# ActiveXperts Network Component Sample - DNS Query
# Written by ActiveXperts Software - https://www.activexperts.com
# ********************************************************************
# ***************************************************************************
# Function ReadInput
# ***************************************************************************
Function ReadInput($strPrompt, $strDefaultValue, $bAllowEmpty)
{
$strReturn = ""
If ($strDefaultValue -ne "")
{
$strPrompt += " (leave empty for " + $strDefaultValue + "): "
}
Do
{
Write-Host $strPrompt
$strReturn = read-host
If ($strReturn -eq "" -and $strDefaultValue -ne "")
{
$strReturn = $strDefaultValue
Write-Host $strReturn
}
elseif ($strReturn -eq "" -and $bAllowEmpty -eq $True)
{
break
}
} While ($strReturn -eq "")
Write-Host ""
return $strReturn
}
# ***************************************************************************
# MAIN SCRIPT
# ***************************************************************************
cls
# Create a socket instance
$objDnsServer = new-object -comobject AxNetwork.DnsServer
$objConstants = new-object -comobject AxNetwork.NwConstants
# A license key is required to unlock this component after the trial period has expired.
# Call 'Activate' with a valid license key as its first parameter. Second parameter determines whether to save the license key permanently
# to the registry (True, so you need to call Activate only once), or not to store the key permanently (False, so you need to call Activate
# every time the component is created). For details, see manual, chapter "Product Activation".
#
# $objDnsServer.LicenseKey = "XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"
# Display ActiveXperts Network Component Version
Write-Host "ActiveXperts Network Component " $objDnsServer.Version "`nBuild: " $objDnsServer.Build "`nModule: " $objDnsServer.Module "`nLicense Status: " $objDnsServer.LicenseStatus "`nLicense Key: " $objDnsServer.LicenseKey "`n`n";
# Logfile
$objDnsServer.Logfile = $env:temp + "\DnsServer.log"
Write-Host "Log file used: " $objDnsServer.Logfile "`n"
# Lookup
$objDnsServer.Server = ReadInput "Enter a DNS server" "ns1.interstroom.nl" $False
$strHost = ReadInput "Enter a hostname to lookup" "www.snmptools.net" $False
$objDnsServer.Lookup($strHost, $objConstants.nwDNS_TYPE_ANY)
Write-Host "Lookup, result: " $objDnsServer.LastError " (" $objDnsServer.GetErrorDescription( $objDnsServer.LastError ) ")"
if($objDnsServer.LastError -ne 0)
{
exit
}
If($objDnsServer.IsAuthoritative -ne $False )
{
Write-Host "Server is an authority for this domain"
}
Else
{
Write-Host "Server is not an authority for this domain"
}
Write-Host " "
$objDnsRecord = $objDnsServer.GetFirstRecord()
While($objDnsServer.LastError -eq 0)
{
switch($objDnsRecord.Type)
{
$objConstants.nwDNS_TYPE_A
{
Write-Host "Type : A"
Write-Host "Name : " $objDnsRecord.Name
Write-Host "IPv4 Address : " $objDnsRecord.Address
}
$objConstants.nwDNS_TYPE_AAAA
{
Write-Host "Type : AAAA"
Write-Host "Name : " $objDnsRecord.Name
Write-Host "IPv4 Address : " $objDnsRecord.Address
}
$objConstants.nwDNS_TYPE_CNAME
{
Write-Host "Type : CNAME"
Write-Host "Name : " $objDnsRecord.Name
Write-Host "Alias : " $objDnsRecord.Address
}
$objConstants.nwDNS_TYPE_MX
{
Write-Host "Type : MX"
Write-Host "Name : " $objDnsRecord.Name
Write-Host "Preference : " $objDnsRecord.Address
Write-Host "Mail Exchange : " $objDnsRecord.MailExchange
}
$objConstants.nwDNS_TYPE_NS
{
Write-Host "Type : NS"
Write-Host "Name : " $objDnsRecord.Name
Write-Host "Name Server : " $objDnsRecord.NameServer
}
$objConstants.nwDNS_TYPE_PTR
{
Write-Host "Type : NS"
Write-Host "Name : " $objDnsRecord.Name
Write-Host "Host : " $objDnsRecord.Address
}
$objConstants.nwDNS_TYPE_SOA
{
Write-Host "Type : SOA"
Write-Host "Name : " $objDnsRecord.Name
Write-Host "Name Server : " $objDnsRecord.NameServer
Write-Host "MailBox : " $objDnsRecord.MailBox
Write-Host "Serial : " $objDnsRecord.SerialNumber
Write-Host "Refresh : " $objDnsRecord.RefreshInterval
Write-Host "Retry Interval : " $objDnsRecord.RetryInterval
Write-Host "Expiration Limit : " $objDnsRecord.ExpirationLimit
Write-Host "Minimum TTL : " $objDnsRecord.MinimumTTL
}
}
Write-Host " "
$objDnsRecord = $objDnsServer.GetNextRecord()
}
Write-Host "Finished."
To run the code, start Powershell and browse to the location of the file you just created. Enter .\Demo.ps1 to run the code. Notice that if the script is not working, you have to change the execution policy; you can do that with the following command:
Set-ExecutionPolicy -unrestricted
You can download the complete samples here. There are many other working Network Component scripts on our site and shipped with the product.