The mDNS Proxy Server (mdnsproxy) enables clients that basically do not support multilingual domain names through the use of multilingual compatible DNS servers.
This enables clients that use a specific type of multilingual domain name support procedure to access a DNS server with a different multilingual support procedure.
Whether or not multlingual domain names can be used with a specific client depends on how that client handles domain names. When a client uses domain names without checking or processing the encoding, multilingual domain names can be used via mdnsproxy. But if the domain name syntax is carefully checked or conversion is performed on the client side, mdnsproxy is not useful.
This document will identify a number of major clients that will allow multilingual domain names when used with mdnsproxy or what you have to do to use multilingual domain names.
UNIX often sends DNS queries via a resolver. The problem is that standard resolvers do not accept domain names that contain non-ASCII characters. To cope with this problem, mDNkit is provided with a patch that makes the BIND 8 resolver (nslookup and named) 8-bit through. First, install this patch in BIND 8 and use the 8-bit through resolver to relink. For details, refer to Preparations and Applying and Installing the BIND Patch in the Installation Guide.
Standard nslookup does not support domain names that contain non-ASCII characters. nslookup generated by applying the BIND 8 8-bit through patch in mDNkit can use multilingual domain names. For details, refer to Preparations and Applying and Installing the BIND Patch in the Installation Guide.
When the Web is accessed via Squid, domain names that contain non-ASCII characters generate an error. mDNkit includes a patch that makes Squid 8-bit through (by removing the syntax check). Squid with this patch installed accepts multilingual domain names. For details, refer to Preparations and Applying and Installing the Squid Patch in the Installation Guide.
Unfortunately, non-ASCII characters are rejected when entered.
The Windows resolver (WINSOCK) passes non-ASCII domain names. So long as no checks or conversions are performed in the client, multilingual domain names can be used without a problem. Usually,
client-encoding Shift_JIS
is OK.
Unfortunately, domain names that contain non-ASCII characters are rejected upon entry. Lists displayed by Is function.
Version 4.7 works without any problems.
However, when an HTTP proxy server is used, operation depends on whether or not that proxy server supports multilingual domain names.
Some IE features support multilingual domain names.
Tools Internet Options Always send URLs as UTF-8However, this function encodes more than is required with the result that mdnsproxy cannot be used. Instead, turn it off,
client-encoding Shift_JIS
then multilingual domain names can be used via mdnsproxy.
But for URLs embedded in a web page IE converts to encoding that suits the encoding on that page and bases DNS queries on this so entries that use characters other than Shift_JIS fail.