Unicast DNS Without a Dedicated Server

There is no conflict in running Unicast DNS alongside Multicast DNS (mDNS), but you should not use the same domain for both. A robust home network separates them, making a device reachable at both nas.home.arpa (Unicast) and nas.local (mDNS).

Use mDNS for zero-config discovery, and Unicast DNS for stable, cross-VLAN addressing. This guide shows how to host the latter directly on your router—no separate server required.

Overview

Use .home.arpa (RFC 8375) and define static hosts directly on the router. This matches standard networking practices.

Prerequisites

• EdgeOS device
• SSH access
• Static IPs or DHCP reservations

1. Add Static Host

configure
set system static-host-mapping host-name nas.home.arpa inet 192.168.1.15
commit
save
exit

2. Enable DNS Forwarding

Required for clients to resolve names:

configure
set service dns forwarding options addn-hosts=/etc/hosts
commit
save
exit

3. Verify

show system static-host-mapping

Troubleshooting

Client resolution fails:

• Ensure client uses router as DNS server
• Check DHCP hands out home.arpa as search domain
• Check DHCP is handing out router IP as DNS

Remove host:

configure
delete system static-host-mapping host-name nas.home.arpa
commit
save
exit

References

• RFC 8375 – home.arpa domain
• RFC 6762 – .local domain
• EdgeOS User Guide