Internal Domain Configuration

Preferred Domain

The preferred top-level domain (TLD) for the homelab environment is .internal. This domain segments internal network services from the public DNS hierarchy.

Optional Domains

Valid alternative TLDs for internal use include .lan and .home.arpa.

Implementation

Manage the internal zone via the local DNS server (TechnitiumDNS).

1. Zone Creation: Create a new primary DNS zone for .internal.
2. DNS Records: Assign A, AAAA, and CNAME records to network hosts (e.g., proxmox.internal, nas.internal).
3. DHCP Configuration: Configure the DHCP server to distribute .internal as the default search domain to all network clients.
4. Certificate Management: Provision SSL/TLS certificates for .internal hostnames using a local Certificate Authority (CA).

Note

[!CAUTION] The .local TLD is strictly not recommended for internal unicast DNS configurations.