Troubleshooting PowerLobster DNS Deployment

Problem

The ShakeStation resolver returns "Status": 2 for mike.boss.

• Status 2 = SERVFAIL (Server Failure).
• Meaning: The resolver found your NS record (ns1.powerlobster.com), tried to contact your server (178.128.115.224), but got no response or an error.

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Check Firewall (Most Likely Cause)

Your DigitalOcean VPS likely has a firewall blocking UDP Port 53.

• Action: SSH into the VPS and run:

  sudo ufw allow 53/udp
  sudo ufw allow 53/tcp
  sudo ufw reload

2. Verify Service is Listening

Check if your Python script is actually binding to the port.

• Action: Run on VPS:

  sudo netstat -ulpn | grep :53

  • Expected: You should see python3 listening on 0.0.0.0:53.

3. Check Service Logs

See if the script crashed or is throwing errors when a request comes in.

• Action: Run on VPS:

  sudo journalctl -u powerlobster-dns -f

4. Local Test (From Your Machine)

Try to query the server directly again. If this times out, it’s definitely a firewall issue.

dig @178.128.115.224 mike.boss TXT

• If it says “connection timed out”: It’s the Firewall.
• If it says “status: SERVFAIL”: It’s the Python Script (check logs).