Whois

Description

The whois command is a query and response protocol that is widely used for querying databases that store the registered users or assignees of an internet resource, such as a domain name, an IP address block, or an autonomous system. It provides information about who owns a domain name and their contact information. It's an essential tool in the realm of cybersecurity and network management, allowing for the identification and verification of domain owners, and aiding in investigations or research into the usage and ownership of internet resources.

Usage

Using the whois command is quite simple and straightforward. It allows users to query information about a domain or IP address from the command line interface. Here's how to use the basic and popular functions of the whois command:

1. Basic Domain Information Retrieval

   • Command: whois domain.com

   • Explanation: This command retrieves detailed information about the specified domain, including the registrant's contact information, domain registration and expiration dates, and name servers among other details.

2. IP Address Information Retrieval

   • Command: whois 10.10.10.10

   • Explanation: Similar to domain information retrieval, this command fetches details about the specified IP address, which may include the organization that owns the IP block, their contact information, and the range of IP addresses in that block.

3. Querying Specific Registrar's WHOIS Server

   • Command: whois -h {registrar website} {target}

   • Explanation: This command allows you to query a specific registrar's WHOIS server directly to retrieve information about a domain. It can sometimes provide more detailed or accurate information.

   • Example:

     whois -h whois.godaddy.com domain.com

     This command queries the GoDaddy WHOIS server directly for information about the domain domain.com.

Examples

• To find out information about a particular domain, you can use:

  whois domain.com

  This will provide a detailed overview of the domain including the registrant's details and the domain's registration history.

• To find out who owns a particular IP address, you can use:

  whois 10.10.10.10

  This command will return details about the organization that owns this IP address block, which in this case would be Google.