title: Looking up Google Cloud DNS records (nslookup) directly
body: <p>I'm in the process of testing GC DNS and have created zones and records. However, doing <code>nslookup</code> (windows/command line) times out when querying assigned Google NS directly:</p>
  
  <pre><code>&gt; www.some_domain_A_record.com.
  Server:  ns-cloud1.googledomains.com
  Addresses:  2001:4860:4802:32::6e
            216.239.32.110
  
  DNS request timed out.
      timeout was 2 seconds.
  DNS request timed out.
      timeout was 2 seconds.
  *** Request to ns-cloud-e1.googledomains.com timed-out
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Does anyone have any advice/input on this?</p>
  
  <p>Notes: </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><p>I am <strong>only</strong> using Cloud DNS for this project (no GCE/GAE/VM, etc.), essentially "just DNS". I'm looking to migrate from some existing DNS (only) provider to Google cloud DNS</p></li>
  <li><p>This means resources (A, CNAME, MX, etc.) aren't necessarily related to any GC hosted app or service (some could be - e.g. Google Apps/Work, etc.). In other words "typical" DNS zone/records.</p></li>
  <li><p>This is for an <em>existing/live</em> domain/zone</p></li>
  <li><p>I have not made any changes at the registrar level (I'm testing first) and querying the google ns assigned for the zone directly</p></li>
  </ul>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p><em>To SO community: <br/>
    Completely understood that this isn't a programming question. Its just that this is the "Bronze" level support area for Google.</em></p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <hr>
  
  <h2>Update</h2>
  
  <p>Using Mac terminal actually <strong>succeeds</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>&gt; server
  Default server: ns-cloud1.googledomains.com
  Address: 216.239.32.106#53
  &gt; gcloud-test.some_domain_I_have.com.
  Server:     ns-cloud1.googledomains.com
  Address:    216.239.32.106#53
  
  gcloud-test.some_domain_I_have.com  canonical name = the_right_target.com.
  Name:   the_right_target.com
  Address: 1.2.3.4
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Will dig some more, seems something to do with Windows <code>nslookup</code>..weird...it's not some firewall, I can <code>nslookup</code> some other domain using whatever specific (or public) name server.</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <h2>Update 2</h2>
  
  <p>Getting weirder - Windows (10 not that it should matter) on same Mac (vm/parallels) above works fine as well...</p>
  
  <h1>Update 3</h1>
  
  <p>As of today 9-24-2015 it seems the odd behavior on Windows <code>nslookup</code> (<em>interactive mode</em>) when querying your assigned Google ns directly is resolved.</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><strong>Bottom line: All's good and running quite smoothly!</strong> To the Google Cloud I go :)</p>
  
  <p>On (<strong>all*</strong>) <strong>Windows</strong> - it just seems that if you have/want to query your assigned Google NS <em>directly</em>, you have to do <code>nslookup</code> in non-interactive mode (aka "one liner") as shown below. You'll do this if you want to check/query resources <em>before</em> DNS propagation (after which, you don't really need to query your assigned NS directly).</p>
  
  <p>Alternatively, you could <code>nslookup</code> interactive mode if you use the IP address of your assigned Google NS (sample also below).</p>
  
  <p><strong>*<em>"all Windows"</strong> - meaning host/pc and OS. As above, Windows on Mac (VM/Parallels) is strangely unaffected by this weirdness - you can use <code>nslookup</code> interactive mode and query your ns directly just fine...<br><br>Mac/OSX terminal is fine/unaffacted</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>Partial answer, scoped to Windows:</p>
  
  <p>To make it work, </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><p>use <code>nslookup</code> in <strong>non-interative</strong> mode: <em>nslookup name-of-resource the-google-ns</em><br />
  e.g. <code>nslookup foo.com ns-cloud1.googledomains.com</code><br><br>
  or<br></li>
  <li><p>use the IP address of the google ns in <strong>interactive</strong> mode:</p>
  
  <pre><code>c:\nslookup
  &gt; server 216.239.32.106
  Default Server:  ns-cloud-a1.googledomains.com
  Address:  216.239.32.106
  
  &gt; the_resource_to_lookup
  </code></pre></li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>As to "why", I'll defer to network folk - haven't worn that hat in years -<em>seems</em> something to do with PTR/reverse lookup, but that's just a guess...</p>