Hi again: I like to take some time to show you four examples of rwhois. The first is showing how one shows delegated ip information. The second will show routing information attached to a particular network. The third will show dns information that is stored in another place (this solves the .us problem). And the fourth will one show how one can extend this to people (although this is not the primary purpose of this project). Thanks, Mark Example 1: Querying for a 193 address maintained at whois.ripe.net. Discussion: This query will connect to the "root" rwhois server (rs.internic.net), retrieve a referral record pointing to whois.ripe.net port 43, and connect to whois.ripe.net with the same query (and getting a response). # rwhois 193.0.5.0 # # Referal Whois client version B0.9.2 # # Trying to connect to [rs.internic.net] port [4343] # # RWhois Server at rs.internic.net version V-0.0 # # Trying to connect to [whois.ripe.net] port [43] # inetnum: 193.0.0.0 - 193.0.5.0 # netname: NCC-RS-TEST # descr: Test networks for the Route Server Project. # descr: These nets have no real hosts connected. # country: NL # admin-c: Tony Bates # tech-c: Tony Bates # tech-c: Marten Terpstra # connect: RIPE # aut-sys: 2600 # changed: tony@ripe.net 930312 # source: RIPE # # person: Tony Bates # address: RIPE Network Coordination Centre (NCC) # address: Kruislaan 409 # address: NL-1098 SJ Amsterdam # address: Netherlands # phone: +31 20 592 5064 # fax-no: +31 20 592 5090 # e-mail: Tony.Bates@ripe.net # nic-hdl: TB230 # notify: Tony.Bates@ripe.net # notify: marten@ripe.net # changed: Tony.Bates@ripe.net 931230 # source: RIPE # # person: Marten Terpstra # address: RIPE Network Coordination Centre (NCC) # address: Kruislaan 409 # address: NL-1098 SJ Amsterdam # address: Netherlands # phone: +31 20 592 5064 # fax-no: +31 20 592 5090 # e-mail: Marten.Terpstra@ripe.net # nic-hdl: MT2 # changed: marten@ripe.net 931230 # source: RIPE Example 2: Querying for routing information on network 198.41.0.0 Discussion: This query will connect to the "root" rwhois server (rs.internic.net), retrieve a network record (198.41.0.0) which containes two "see-also" records. The first points to host diis-dev.ddn.mil, port 4343, and asks for the query handle=asn1. The second points to prdb.merit.edu port 43 asking for 198.41.0.0. # rwhois 198.41.0.0 # # Referal Whois client version B0.9.2 # # Trying to connect to [rs.internic.net] port [4343] # # RWhois Server at rs.internic.net version V-0.0 # Network Solutions, Inc. (NET-INTERNIC1) # 505 Huntmar Park Drive # Herndon, VA 22070 # # Netname: INTERNIC1 # Netnumber: 198.41.0.0 # # Administrative Contact: # Zalubski, John (JZ7) johnz@INTERNIC.NET # (703) 742-4757 # # # Record Last Updated on: . # # Domain System inverse mapping provided by: # # RS.INTERNIC.NET 198.41.0.5 # NOC.CERF.NET 192.153.156.22 # # # Trying to connect to [diis-dev.ddn.mil] port [3636] # # RWhois Server at diis-dev.internic.net version V-0.0 # Routing Information # Home AS: 1310 # Routing Info: 1:86, 2:279 # # # Trying to connect to [prdb.merit.edu] port [43] # netnum: 198.41.0/24 # netname: INTERNIC1 # netcc: US # orgname: Network Solutions, Inc. # orgname: 505 Huntmar Park Drive # orgname: Herndon, VA 22070, USA # orgcc: US # orgtype: # bbone: T3 # homeas: # aslist: 1:86 2:279 # aup: NSFNET # added: 01/21/1993 Example 3: Querying for a subdomain/host ietf.cnri.reston.va.us that is on another whois server. Discussion: This query will connect to the "root" rwhois server (rs.internic.net), retrieve a referral record pointing to rs.internic.net port 3636 (hopefully this will be some isi.edu host in the future), and connect to rs.internic.net with the same query (and getting a response). # rwhois ietf.cnri.reston.va.us # # Referal Whois client version B0.9.2 # # Trying to connect to [rs.internic.net] port [4343] # # RWhois Server at rs.internic.net version V-0.0 # # Trying to connect to [rs.internic.net] port [3636] # # RWhois Server at rs.internic.net version V-0.0 # CNRI (IETF-HST) # # # Hostname: IETF.CNRI.RESTON.VA.US # Address: 132.151.1.35 # System: SUN # OS: SunOS 4.1.3 Example 3: Querying for a person given a email address. Discussion: This query will connect to the "root" rwhois server (rs.internic.net) and retrieve two referral records. The first points to netman1.netsol.com port 4343. The second is a bogus referral that points to diis-dev.ddn.mil port 3636. The client will first connect to netman1 and retrieve the correct record. The client then will connect to diis-dev and retrieve a referral back to rs.internic.net (a recursive referral) which the client detects and quits. # rwhois butchc@netsol.com # # Referal Whois client version B0.9.2 # # Trying to connect to [rs.internic.net] port [4343] # # RWhois Server at rs.internic.net version V-0.0 # # Trying to connect to [netman1.netsol.com] port [4343] # # RWhois Server at netman1.internic.net version V-0.0 # Corson, Butch (bc-netsol) butchc@netsol.com # Network Solutions # 505 Huntmar Park Drive # Herndon, VA 22071 # (703) 742-4000 # # # Record Last Updated on: . # # # Trying to connect to [diis-dev.ddn.mil] port [3636] # # RWhois Server at diis-dev.internic.net version V-0.0 # # Trying to connect to [rs.internic.net] port [3636] # # RWhois Server at rs.internic.net version V-0.0 # # Found recursive server call ... stoping this madness!! ^^^^^^^ This is Scott's trademark (misspellings!) Thanks, Mark