Quantum router log messages: DNS Services problem?
abuladeen
Enthusiast - Level 2

I'm seeing the following set of messages in the Quantum router's system log, over and over and over, constantly:

Dec 29 20:28:26 2015 named[26811] err<139> zone localhost/IN/guest-clients: not loaded due to errors.
Dec 29 20:28:26 2015 named[26811] err<139> zone localhost/IN/guest-clients: loading from master file localhost.zone failed: file not found
Dec 29 20:28:26 2015 named[26811] err<139> zone 127.in-addr.arpa/IN/guest-clients: not loaded due to errors.
Dec 29 20:28:26 2015 named[26811] err<139> zone 127.in-addr.arpa/IN/guest-clients: loading from master file 127.zone failed: file not found

I'm guessing this is a DNS services misconfiguration on a Verizon server. A friend suggested setting my broadband connection to use a static IP address temporarily, then returning to Obtain IP Address Automatically in order to reset the connection with Verizon. This makes sense, but seems risky, so I haven't tried it.

Any ideas on how to resolve the underlying problem?

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Re: Quantum router log messages: DNS Services problem?
CRobGauth
Community Leader
Community Leader

Are you having any problems or just seeing the error messages in the router log?

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Re: Quantum router log messages: DNS Services problem?
abuladeen
Enthusiast - Level 2

Not having any apparent problem. I try not to look in places where I find errors I typically can't do much about (Windows Event Viewer, router logs), but once I see them they're hard to unsee. May have something to do with having been an IT director.

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Re: Quantum router log messages: DNS Services problem?
JustinG1
Community Leader
Community Leader

If there are no issues other than the error logs, I woulden't be concerned.

Although I would suggest switching to different DNS servers, I personally have had some issues with Verizon's DNS resolvers in the past.

There are many public DNS resolvers, I reccomend OpenDNS and Google's DNS service. Here is a guide on how to set your Quantum router to use those services.

https://support.opendns.com/entries/62437360-FIOS-Quantum-Gateway-G1100

Re: Quantum router log messages: DNS Services problem?
abuladeen
Enthusiast - Level 2

I tried changing DNS servers to get rid of the error messages: changed to Google public servers (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4). Didn't make any difference. Something is still trying to load a local DNS zone configuration file, and failing to find the file.

I found this issue, WiFi Extender WCB3000 causing DHCP hangs with G1100 Router?, recently posted by MrConfused that seems a close match to my problem. I recently installed a TP-LINK N300 Wi-Fi Range Extender with Pass-Through Outlet (TL-WA860RE) as a repeater to get better WiFi coverage in the top level of my townhouse. The advent of the messages seems to coincide with firing up the repeater. Unfortunately, so far no one has replied to MrConfused with an explanation or solution to his problem.

With this new inforrmation, any additional insights or suggestions?

Re: Quantum router log messages: DNS Services problem?
MrConfused1
Enthusiast - Level 2

I saw your post and was wondering if you had resolved your issue.

In my situation, my devices cannot reestablish a wireless connection when they transition from the extender to the gateway. 

There is a clear correlation between these errors and the device connectivity. It occurs when I transition from the extender back to the G1100.  It can be recreated and the logs correlate precisely to the drop in connectivity to the wireless network.

When it occurs, all devices lose connectivity whether they are attached to the extender or G1100.   The devices will then connect through their respective cell signals.  Connectivity will eventually resume after 10-20 minutes.  However, this will occur repeatedly as you transition the WCB3000 and G1100.

It seems there is some unhandled scenario causing the the G1100 to hang affecting the entire wireless network.  I will alter DNS settings if you've been successful.

Thanks

Re: Quantum router log messages: DNS Services problem?
abuladeen
Enthusiast - Level 2

I'm not using the roaming configuration. I got the range extender primarily for an older Internet radio device located two floors above my router (FiOS Quantum). I found that unless I gave the extender a distinct SSID, the radio wouldn't connect to it.

With the router and extender using different SSIDs, the router log showed the messages for the DNS services zone load failures repeating endlessly every minute or so.

Today I disabled the guest network, as I'd tried before, once again with no apparent effect on the error messages. But this time I also changed the DHCP configuration on the extender from "Off" to "Auto," and the messages stopped. This makes no sense to me since the "Auto" setting presumably allows the extender to detect that DHCP isn't needed because the main router is providing it, so whether the extender's DHCP is set to off or automatic, it's disabled. So I really have no explanation why the messages finally stopped.

I wish someone would explain the underlying DNS zone behavior. Clearly something is triggering the repeated failed attempst to load the local zone master file. Someone with a deeper knowledge of networking than I have should be able to explain what might be going on. But I've posted the problem in the TP-Link forum as well as here, without getting anything very informative in the way of replies.

I'm happy to finally have the messages stopped, but I doubt that my experience will be helpful to you. At any rate, good luck getting to the bottom of this!

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Re: Quantum router log messages: DNS Services problem?
abuladeen
Enthusiast - Level 2

Update: celebrating too soon. The messages stopped for a while but now they're back, repeating about once a minute.

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Re: Quantum router log messages: DNS Services problem?
pa28pilot
Enthusiast - Level 3

Those messages relate to the nameserver built into your router. It looks like they're specific to the wireless guest network that you can choose to activate if you don't want visitors on your primary wireless network served by that router/access point. 

Specifically, what it's saying is that the nameserver in the router was starting up, and tried to load a zone file for guest network hostname-to-address records (A records), from a file called localhost.zone and that file doesn't exist. "Localhost" generally is a special name that translates to an address in the reserved loopback address range, and most often to the address 127.0.0.1 

Then it is complaining that it tried to load a zone file for network address-to-hostname records (PTR records)  for the loopback address, from a file called 127.zone  and that file doesn't exist either. 

You really don't need to worry about this. Mostly because any device I can think of already probably has a hardcoded or internal reference that makes "localhost" mean "127.0.0.1" 

Re: Quantum router log messages: DNS Services problem?
abuladeen
Enthusiast - Level 2

Thanks, pa28pilot! That's consistent with what I've come up with after doing a lot of research and reading to try to educate myself.

This is a problem at least in that the volume and frequency of the DNS server error messages make it near impossible to find any other, possibly significant, error messages: needle in a haystack effect.

Recently, for no reason apparent to me, the file-not-found messages stopped, and the following kinds of messages are appearing over and over in the system log:

Feb 17 21:29:15 2016 named[1251] err<139> zone localrp/IN/internal-clients: zone serial (2008122601) unchanged. zone may fail to transfer to slaves.
Feb 17 21:29:15 2016 named[1251] err<139> zone fios-router.home/IN/internal-clients: zone serial (2008122601) unchanged. zone may fail to transfer to slaves.
Feb 17 21:29:15 2016 named[1251] err<139> zone FIOS_Quantum_Gateway/IN/internal-clients: zone serial (2008122601) unchanged. zone may fail to transfer to slaves.
Feb 17 21:29:15 2016 named[1251] err<139> zone 1.168.192.in-addr.arpa/IN/internal-clients: zone serial (2008122601) unchanged. zone may fail to transfer to slaves.

If I did want to stop the DNS server errors, the only thing I can think to do would be to use SSH to log in to the router and disable the named (BIND9) service. Does that make any sense, or is it better to just ignore the errors?

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