[LINK] Probably one of the oldest DNS servers says goodnight.

[Adam Todd]

I just wanted to say that probably one of the oldest and longest running 
DNS server was shut down tonight, permanently.


NS4.AH.NET started life as a 386-DX40, with 16 MB of Ram and a 100 MB Hard 
drive.  That was in 1994.

Not much had changed since then, other than during a powerfail a memory 
upgrade to 32 MB, and a Bind update about 8 years ago.  Oh and a name 
change, NS4 wasn't always known as NS4.AH.NET as I only acquired AH.NET in 
1995.  But what's a year!

Recording only 62 hours of downtime in 12 years, NS4 has done well.  Most 
of that downtime has been power fail exceeding UPS and, lets face it, when 
Sydney blacks out for three days, no one really uses the net!

The power supply is amazing.  For it's age, it's the only PSU I have here 
that actually keeps beating after brownouts and surges.  Rarely has the 
machine ever needed to be restarted after a "blink" of a power issue.

In 12 years, there have been recorded only 18 reboots.  (Reboots are 
reported in a local log file and by an email message to me so I know 
something has happened.  I also keep a log book manually.)

NS4.AH.NET carried many of the controversial "Alternate" Domain names in 
the "Alternative Roots" and technically still does (as on the new server.)

NS4 has seem many political times in it's life!  Serving domain information 
for the controversial AJTODD.COM web site, billtodd.inoz.com, 
anti.integral.inoz.com and many many more.

NS4 also made A Current Affair in around 2001 when ISPs pooled together to 
block the Domain Name Authority (or whatever they were called) in the 
worlds first ISP standup for consumers.  NS4 served all the ISPs with DNS 
data freely and openly without transfer restriction and provided up to date 
DNS data when DNA changed their name servers or any other related data.

This isn't an RIP message by any means.  NS4 is still quite functional and 
fully operational.  If I had the ability to store NS4 for prosperity and 
nostalgic reasons I would.  However, due to the Bill Todd events, I am 
forced to make quite a few network changes and NS4 sadly is one of them.

NS4 - retired 24 November 2006.  Only 3 days from the 8th anniversary of AJ 
Todd's kidnapping!

<smile>