How to get a free .arpa domain
The .arpa top-level domain is reserved for internet infrastructure and isn't open to public registration. But you can still get your own .arpa domain by abusing the ip6.arpa reverse DNS scheme. This guide walks through the process: sign up for a free IPv6 tunnel from Hurricane Electric, derive a domain from your routed prefix, set up DNS with deSEC, and host a site on Surge. The result is a fully functional website on a reserved infrastructure TLD.
Nothing in the specification stops us from using it for other purposes, so let’s do so!
- ggm
Many people, including myself, tend to look at .arpa and think "oh yes, thats PTR queries" but forget the DNS doesn't have a global rule that ONLY the PTR query can be sent to the domain.
It's just a domain. You can put anything into your zone. A, AAAA, PTR, TXT, you can even put HESIOD records if you want to party like its Kerberos nineteen ninety IV.
- winstonwinston
Do these free HE assigned IPv6 prefix(es) just remain valid indefinitely even when not actually being used/routed?
- preisschild
You might not even need to go through HE. Many ISPs allow you to set your own PTR records / rDNS delegations if you ask them, since this is also necessary to host email servers.