DNS server does not start

Port

Make sure no other application is using port 53.

Open Terminal (Applications -> Utilities) and enter the following command:

netstat -na | grep "\.53"

If the output looks like this:

tcp6 0 0 *.53 *.* LISTEN

then another application (e.g., another DNS service) is already using port 53.

BIND Log File

Check your BIND log file for any details on why DNS isn't starting. The log file for BIND (name server) is located at:

/var/log/named.log