An unusual dns question

[warlord at MIT.EDU (Derek Atkins)]

Good question.  I doubt this is really a DNS Issue (per se).  Red hat
appears to have an MX record and an A record for listman.redhat.com.
Why Netscape on Windows tried 443 before 80 I do not know.

-derek

"Bill Horne" <bill at horne.net> writes:

> Thanks for reading this. I've got an unusual question about dns.
> 
> On my RH 7.3 box, if I use Netscape and enter 
> http://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-list, the browser 
> stalls and finally times out. I can see the dns query going out and 
> being answered, and then a series of connect attempts to port 80, with 
> no answers from listman.redhat.com.
> 
> On Windows 95, if I use Netscape and enter the same URL, I see the dns
> query going out and being answered, and then a connect attempt AND 
> ANSWER to PORT 443! The page comes up ok, albeit as https instead of http.
> 
> If I enter https instead of http on the Redhat box, it also renders the 
> page correctly.
> 
> The question: how did the windows version of netscape know it should 
> attempt port 443? There were NO attempts on port 80 before the port 443
> traffic, so I assume that the dns query provided the information somehow.
> 
> Please tell me if that makes sense, or supply any other information 
> you can. Thanks in advance.
> 
> Bill
> 
> --
> Bill Horne
> If you seek truth, do not look to the past or the future. Look inside.
> 
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-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available