Unable to resolve unicast DNS names that end in .local in iOS

iOS devices might be unable to resolve unicast DNS names that end with a .local suffix. If you need to access an internal corporate network that uses an internal, top-level domain name such as "mydomain.local", these steps can help.

Changing your private network (if possible) to use a domain-name suffix other than .local will resolve this issue. When planning for internal corporate network naming, instead of ".local", use a domain suffix such as the following:

• .private

• .intranet

• .internal

• .lan

Bonjour's Multicast Domain Name Service (mDNS) uses the .local suffix to identify Bonjour-accessible devices. Avoiding use of a .local suffix when planning internal corporate networks is strongly recommended.

In iOS 8, add a label to your domain name

To resolve a .local top-level domain over multicast in iOS 8, you can use any two-label name, such as “example.local”. This is compliant with the IANA assignment of the local domain to Bonjour.

You can also configure names with three or more labels (“host.example.local”) to use unicast DNS:

• Make sure the Domain Name Server has a SOA (Start of Authority) record ".local".

• Or use a subdomain of ".local", such as "example.local". In this case, you can add a two-label search domain like example.local and either have an SOA record for example.local or one for ".local".