DNS Client Group policy: DNS Suffix Search List

Determines the DNS suffixes to be attached to an unqualified single-label domain name before sending DNS query for that domain name.

For example, An unqualified single-label name contains no dots, such as “dns-info” as against to dns-info.blogspot.com.

If this policy enabled, For each DNS query for a single-label name ("DNS-info"), the local DNS client attaches a DNS suffix, such as “blogspot.com”. Thus the resulting DNS query looks like dns-info.blogspot.com

If you enable this policy, DNS Client maintains list of DNS suffixes such as as “blogspot.com, blogspot1.com. If a DNS query with one DNS suffix fails then a new DNS suffix is added in place of the failed suffix and this new DNS query is will until all the DNS suffixes ends. If the policy is enabled then at least one suffix needs to added to suffix list.

If the policy is disable, then the primary DNS suffix and local area network connection-specific DNS suffixes are appended to the unqualified queries.


If this policy is not configured, then it is not applied to any hosts and the hosts use their own local configuration like connection specific suffix.

Relevant Posts:
Enable DNS Suffix Search List
Disable DNS Suffix Search List