Is it possible to configure Sonicwall TZ350 to provide DNS for DHCP clients?

I've got a SonicWall TZ350, and I've set it up to provide DHCP to a local LAN (192.168.168.X). Right now, when a DHCP client on the local lan does nslookup of another client, it fails because the name server that the SonicWall is providing is the name server passed through from the WAN. Is there a way to get the SonicWall to ack as a DNS server for the DHCP clients? I would like the SonicWall to offer itself as DNS server, and answer for any DHCP clients, but forward anything else to the WAN DNS server (similar to how it works in pfSense when you use the DNS Forwarder option with 'Register DHCP Leases in DNS Forwarder). Is this simply not a thing that the SonicWALL does? I certainly can implement my own DNS server/DHCP server on the LAN (pfSense), but it seems like a natural thing for the SonicWall to do, so I tend to think I just don't know what I'm doing here.

2,640 4 4 gold badges 26 26 silver badges 44 44 bronze badges asked Oct 8, 2021 at 17:29 Michael Kohne Michael Kohne 4,037 2 2 gold badges 23 23 silver badges 35 35 bronze badges

1 Answer 1

No, SonicWall does not act as a real DNS server. If you have a tiny network, you could enable DNS Proxy on the SonicWall and fill out the cache by hand for your local domain. Anything more than that and you'll have to setup a local DNS server.

answered Oct 8, 2021 at 22:14 1,446 7 7 silver badges 12 12 bronze badges

So SonicWall can act as a DHCP server but NOT as a DNS Server? Strange How would I resolve the name of a station which got an IP from DHCP ?

Commented Jan 18, 2022 at 12:28 @Klaus - The DHCP response includes the IP of the DNS server. Commented Jan 18, 2022 at 15:01 the IP of an external DNS Server or the IP of the SonicWall box acting as DNS Server ?? Commented Jan 19, 2022 at 16:09

@Klaus The IP address of the DNS servers you have entered into the Sonicwall DHCP configuration. You can select 'inherit' to use the DNS servers configured under your network settings. Chosing manual lets you fill out the DNS servers of your choice.

Commented Jan 19, 2022 at 17:21

@Silbee : but this still does not answer the question: will the SonicWall work as a DNS server itself without any external DNS server and resolve the host names in the local network, which has got an IP address from SonicWalls DHCP ?