Huh, found an updated DNS server

I'm guessing the site was unavailable for most of the night (Australian time) as I sent Tony an email about it quite late last night. Not sure if he was aware of the problem until then or not.

Well done, so did I. The site has been on and off all day (gmt) due to DNS problems, but I'm sure Tony will update the forum on the problem when it's fully resolved

The domain name expired - or at least that's what all the indications suggested ...like a big notice that said "domain name expired". It seems to be the norm now that they give you a couple of days grace then de-point the name. Personally I always renew the names I look after at least a month ahead of the deadline. O:)

Yes it was completely my mistake.
I think the same thing happened last year as well. :oops:

Basically I manage a few domains, all except csscreator through one company where I logon every so often to check what domains need to be renewed.
CSSCreator was completely overlooked again so I had to stick to the way more expensive domain register. I was intending to transfer csscreator to the other registra but wanted to get the most out of the year I had paid for and forgot that I hadn't transferred once the registration drew near.

Strange thing was when I got the emails from you guys I could still access the site and thought you were both off your tree.
Now it is my turn to start climbing back up the tree and when things settle down I will transfer the domain so it is not forgotten again.

What, did that actually mean what it said then? and there was me trying to read all sorts of things into that message, except what it was clearly trying to say in that obfuscated manner, silly me.

I still contend that there was something odd in the de-pointing though as I was logged in then shortly after greeted with the expired page then 3 hours latter back up and running then back to the expired page early evening, that's not right :? then I pointed to another DNS server and got through.

Ah yes; the wonders of DNS caching and ISPs' recursive relays - guaranteed to give sysadmins headaches when trying to switch servers on a live site :roll:

I'm just peachy pleased to see that the site is back up and running. I may not post much (still learning but working on a customer's site) but I was floored when I saw that 'expired' message.

just wanted to add: I saw the expired message from early morning until late evening...

thank god the site is back . . I was hyperventilating last night without my daily CSS fix

How do you point to another DNS server?
I got home last night after having access to the forum all day at work and had the same problem as I did the previous night from home - the Melbourne IT page instead of the site.

Hi Tyssen,
That's fairly strange, we are both from the same city I would have thought we would get the same result.
I was lucky enough never to see the expired page.

This is still very strange Tony it's now the third day and still resolving on my main ISP then not; yet never have a problem with my backup connection and their DNS servers.

All your records look OK you seem to be listed on the root servers, I get reports on cached records for the main UK name servers.

I be puzzled :?

p.s have you actually transferred the parking of the domain away from that registrant, I seemed to get a different nslookup record today.

It is my non-expert experience that there are a great many broken or corrupt recursive relays out there. Different ISPs have different caching and TTL policies but some of them forever seem to have problems once a record is changed for the first time. It is such a problem with mission critical web applications that I now instruct some of my clients to link to my servers by IP address (only possible if virtual hosting is not being employed) in order to rule out DNS problems.

I agree about the IP addressing but for the problem with virtual hosting as is the case here.

I don't know the more I delve into the heart of DNS the more I get confused, yet it's not really a very complicated subject.

I'm still most perplexed by the fact that as of this moment I am back on with my normal ISP and yet in all likelihood try and log in again in half an hour or so and I'll probably get the expired page again, it's this aspect that I can't make sense of surely there is either a record or not. Where has MY ISP resolved this name from, it's cache? or had to interrogate another nameserver along the route, either way once found it should be cached for a specified period?

Finally, my ISPs DNS is updated.

48 hours is what they say for DNS propagation to sort itself out. That seems to be about right.

I was just able to get on a half hour or so back. The site's been down for me from monday until now (Wed afternoon ... I even tried this am with no luck). Must have needed the dns info to propagate to my end of the world.

Glad everything is back up.

I'm glad to hear most of you can access the site again.
It is recommended not to transfer the domain in less then 60 days from the date it was last changed. So I will have to wait a couple of months and remember to change it over then.
Sorry for the inconvenience I have caused. :oops:

I felt like a junky with no money left. :oops:

Tony, I just thank you for keeping this place up and running. I like it here.

As Triumph says Tony, we thank you for keeping the place running.

However I'm still Puzzled, but then again that's not difficult for me!

Hugo.