Plug-Ins

Simple DNS Plus has a plug-in system for providing additional functionality and for fetching DNS data from various sources such as databases and custom programs and scripts. For details see Using plug-ins in Simple DNS Plus.

We provide a number of plug-ins (see below), but it is also possible to develop your own plug-ins.
For reference or as a starting point, the source code for some of our plug-ins is available at GitHub.

The following is a list of the plug-ins that either come with Simple DNS Plus or are available for download. Click each item for more information.

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Installation:

Alias Zones

Provides DNS records for one or more "virtual" zones by cloning records from another zone (local or remote).
This is an easy way to host many domain names that have the exact same records (except for their zone names).

Clone Response

Provides DNS responses by cloning the DNS records from a response to requests for another specified domain name. This is an easy way to host many domain names that have the exact same records (except for their zone names).

DHCP Server

A DHCP server which provides IPv4 addresses and settings to local computers and devices. The DHCP data is also used to serve DNS requests (forward and reverse) making it very simple to locate any local DHCP client by name on a local network.

DNS Blacklist (DNSBL / RBL)

Used to host a DNS blacklist (a.k.a. "DNSBL" / "RBL"). DNS blacklists are typically used with e-mail servers to filter spam and other unwanted e-mails.

Domain Blacklist

Redirects requests for domain names on a blacklist.
This can be used to block banner ads, malicious web-sites, porn web-sites, etc. Doing this at a central DNS server makes it easy to enforce company/family policy for your entire network. You can direct browser requests for listed entries either to a dummy IP address, or to an IP address of your own web-server where you serve up some type of "not allowed" message.

Domain blacklist BOOT

Blocks / redirects DNS requests for domain names listed in a standard DNS "BOOT" file. Specifically this plug-in was created to handle blocklists from http://www.malwaredomains.com - but can technically use any list of domain names in the standard BOOT file format.

DynDNS Service

Makes it easy to run your own "DynDNS" service with Simple DNS plus (just like dyndns.com, no-ip.com, tzo.com, etc.).
Besides from running a public DynDNS service, there are many possible uses for this. For example making it easy to connect with company road warriors, branch offices, etc.
A DynDNS service makes it possible to connect, using a static host name, to any kind of service including web-server, mail-server, remote desktop, VPN, etc. running on a computer with a dynamic Internet IP address.

Fake Zone Authority

Provides synthesized SOA- and NS-records indicating that this DNS server is authoritative for a domain name. This allows domain names to pass common tests performed by domain name registrars and similar without having to setup an actual zone for each domain name.

Fixed Host Name

Serves a fixed host name - either to all DNS requests as a CNAME (alias), or to DNS requests for MX, NS, and/or PTR-records.

Fixed IP Address

Serves a fixed IP address (IPv4 and/or IPv6) to all DNS requests for host records (A/AAAA). This can be used as a simple way to host DNS records.

GeoDNS

Provides a different DNS response depending on what country the DNS request originates from. This can be used to direct Internet traffic (web, FTP, streaming media, etc.) to a server geographically closer to the end-user, or with contents specific for a geographical area.

Hosts File

Serves host (A/AAAA) and reverse (PTR) DNS records from a standard hosts file.

HTTP Redirector

Redirects HTTP requests for specified host names (and optionally all sub-names). Redirection can be done either "cloaked" in a frame page (redirect URL not visible in browser) or through a standard 302/301 status response.
The redirect-to URL can be either relative (requested path/query appended) or an exact URL with optional substitutions for host name, path and/or query string.

Ignore DNS Request

Instructs Simple DNS Plus to ignore (not answer) all DNS requests that the plug-in processes. This can be used to ignore requests from specific IP addresses, for specific domain names, record types, etc. As an example, you could configure it to ignore DNS requests from IP addresses listed by a blacklist plug-in.

MS SQL Server

Queries a Microsoft SQL Server for host records and optionally reverse records.

MS SQL Server "Plus"

Queries a Microsoft SQL Server for one or more DNS records of any type.

MySQL Server

Queries a MySQL Server for host records and optionally reverse records.
SQL queries are executed asynchronously (in a separate thread) and therefore won't slow down other requests not using the plug-in.

Regex Ignore

Ignore all DNS requests for names that match a configurable regular expression.

Regular Expressions

Uses Regular Expressions to pair host domain names to IP addresses.
This gives you much more flexibility than simple wildcard records.

Skip

Used to skip other plug-in instances when processing DNS requests. This is typically used to apply one or more conditions (in the "DNS Requests" tab) to several other plug-ins at the same time.

Smart Reverse DNS

Automatically synthesize reverse DNS records (PTR) for all the IP addresses (IPv4 or IPv6) in a subnet.

TCP Port Forwarder

Provides simple TCP port forwarding.

TFTP Server

Provides TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) server functionality.
TFTP is typically used in combination with DHCP to enable PXE / diskless booting of PCs, provisioning IP phones, etc.

Weighted Round Robin

Serves IP addresses for a host name round robin from a weighted list. IP addresses are rotated so that the first visitor gets one IP address, the next visitor another IP address, etc. However IP addresses with higher weight values are served more often than IP addresses with lower weight values. This makes it possible for example to send more traffic to high capacity servers in a round robin set.