DNS records

NSEC3PARAM record

An NSEC3PARAM record at the zone's root tells authoritative servers which NSEC3 settings (hash, iterations, salt) the zone uses, so they can find the right NSEC3 records to send.

Record typeNSEC3PARAM
Type number51
Used forDNSSEC
How commonSpecialist
Defined inRFC 5155

Format

@ <ttl> IN NSEC3PARAM <hash algorithm> <flags> <iterations> <salt>
FieldWhat it meansAccepted values
Hash algorithmAlways 1.1
FlagsAlways 0 here.0
IterationsExtra hash rounds.0 recommended.
SaltHex salt, or - for none.- recommended.

Check an NSEC3PARAM record

Type or paste a record in zone-file form (name, TTL, type, value) or just its value. Each part is explained as you type.

A valid NSEC3PARAM record.

PartWhat it means
Name@@ means the domain itself (the root, or apex), such as example.com.
TTL00: resolvers shouldn't cache this answer at all.
ClassINInternet. Every record you'll write uses IN.
TypeNSEC3PARAMSettings for NSEC3.
Hash algorithm11: SHA-1, the only one defined.
Flags0Must be 0 here.
Iterations00 extra hash rounds, as recommended.
Salt-No salt, as recommended.

Examples

Recommended

@ 0 IN NSEC3PARAM 1 0 0 -

SHA-1, no extra rounds, no salt.

Look up NSEC3PARAM records

TTL

0 is common: resolvers don't need to cache it. How TTL works

Common mistakes

  • Iterations above 0.

At your DNS host

  • Set by the signer.

Questions

Do resolvers use NSEC3PARAM?

No. It's for the zone's own servers. Resolvers read the parameters from the NSEC3 records they receive.

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