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10.7. Common Mistakes to Avoid

The following is a list of advices how to avoid common mistakes users make when configuring a nameserver:
Use semicolons and curly brackets correctly
An omitted semicolon or unmatched curly bracket in the /etc/named.conf file can prevent the named service from starting.
Use period (that is, the . character) correctly
In zone files, a period at the end of a domain name denotes a fully qualified domain name. If omitted, the named service will append the name of the zone or the value of $ORIGIN to complete it.
Increment the serial number when editing a zone file
If the serial number is not incremented, the primary nameserver will have the correct, new information, but the secondary nameservers will never be notified of the change, and will not attempt to refresh their data of that zone.
Configure the firewall
If a firewall is blocking connections from the named service to other nameservers, the recommended best practice is to change the firewall settings whenever possible.

Warning: Avoid Using Fixed UDP Source Ports

According to the recent research in DNS security, using a fixed UDP source port for DNS queries is a potential security vulnerability that could allow an attacker to conduct cache-poisoning attacks more easily. To prevent this, configure your firewall to allow queries from a random UDP source port.