To use WHOIS, simply type in your target string. The default action, unless directed otherwise with a keyword (e.g. "handle, "network" etc.), is to conduct a very broad search, looking for matches to your target in numerous fields: handle, name, nicknames, hostname, net address, etc., and finding all record types.
WHOIS then shows the results in one of two ways: as a full, detailed display for a single match (with possible sub-display), or as one or two line summaries for multiple matches.
Often the search finds multiple records. To lookup a single, specific record, put a '!' before your target, which should be the handle of that record. In summary lines, the handle is shown in parenthesis following the name, which is first on the line. Using this method, typing "!ABC" will look up the record whose handle is "ABC".
If you don't know exactly what you're looking for, you can do a "partial" search, meaning you will specify the partial target string, and everything STARTING with that target will be found. Put a trailing dot (or dots) after your text to indicate this. For example, typing "mack." will find "Mack", "Mackall", "Mackay", etc.
See the next section for a description of the different types of keywords WHOIS takes.
To tell WHOIS to restrict its search to ONLY a certain field in the database, use the three keywords below (shown with their minimal abbreviations in all CAPS):
Examples:
HAndle or '!' !sb65 or HA sb65
NAme or leading '.' .borinski or NA borinski
Mailbox or contains '@' stanb@host
To find only a certain TYPE of record, use one of the following:
ASn
HOst
MNtainer
NEtwork
ORganization
PErson
GRoup
See Record types for detailed descriptions of
the different record types. See Output keywords
for a list of the input and output control keywords.
MILES, JAMES (MJ3) JAMESM@INTERNIC.NET (703) 742-5500
(MJ3 is the handle)
For individuals, the handle is composed of the persons initials
plus a trailing number (if necessary) to make it unique.
Handles for other types of records are created to be similar to their record type, e.g., "NET-AAAI-arin" or "ASN-ABC-ASN3-arin". Note that these records can be found by using their handles and by using a record-type search, e.g., "NET" and "ASN".
Sometimes a host record's handle will come from an old hostname no longer in use. Because of this, it's better to do "HOST xxx" where xxx is a current and legitimate name for the host rather than relying on the potentially stale information in the handle.
Mailboxes are stored in the database with the host part canonicalized, that is, made official. If you use a non-official hostname or nickname, it is automatically canonicalized for you before the search. If the named host is not known, the search is performed anyway on the exact target string.
You may search for mailboxes any of three ways:
user@ Looks for mailboxes with a username part of
"user" on any host. This is a fast search.
@host Finds ALL mailboxes on host "host". This is
a SLOW search.
user@host Looks for an exact mailbox match in both user and
host parts. This is fastest.
Smith, John
Smith, John Q.
Smith, John Q., III
Other records typically have name fields like:
Smith College
Smith & James Co.
You may specify any part of a name up to a space or comma, it will
match everything starting with that target: "Smith," for example,
would match all of the above records. "Smith, John" would
find those three people above and many more. Additionally,
"Smith, J" can be used to find all Smiths with a first
initial of 'J'.
Don't forget about partial searches. A partial search on the name field is often what will find the record you're looking for. Refer to the OVERVIEW section for details.
To search for a specific type of record, put one of the following keywords (shown with their minimum abbreviation in all CAPS) before your target:
HOst- Finds records for "hosts", meant more as "machines". Host records are found, as well as gateways. Looks for the hostname, nicknames, and net-addresses, with bonus pre-dot AND pre-dash matching (i.e. matches text before the '.' or '-' in the name)! For example, "ho rutgers" finds RUTGERS.EDU, RUTGERS-GW.RUTGERS.EDU, and RED.RUTGERS.EDU, the last one is found because RED's name field is "Rutgers University".
NEtwork- Finds network records. Looks in net-name ("S1NET"etc.) and net-number ("128.15.0.0", etc.), with pre-dot matching on net number: "net 128.15" are equivalent to the above. "net 128" finds all networks with a first octet of 128.
ORganization- Finds org/group records. Looks in the usual places plus nicknames. Examples: "org rfc", "o net-sponsors".
ASn- Finds autonomous system numbers.
MNtainer- Finds network record. Looks in Maintainer-id ("MCI", etc.)
EXPandor'*'- Tells WHOIS to always expand the long display for a single match to include all the subdisplays, without asking you, the user, if you wish to see them or not.
'~'- This is not a keyword, just the magic character equivalent. It is the opposite of '*' and instructs Whois not to show subdisplays at all.
Full- Gives a long display for EACH matching record, not just when there's only a single match.
SUMmary- For completeness, SUM always gives a summary line for each match, even if there's only one.
SUBdisplayor'%'- Shows the subdisplay for the matching record following a summary line for the record itself. See the next for details.
EXPandor'*'- Instructs Whois to show those sub-displays without asking. The opposite, '~' says not to show them at all.
Following are the record types that have sub-displays, and what those sub-displays are:
record type sub-display
host registered users
gateway registered hosts and users
network hosts on network
secondary domain hosts in secondary domain
group/organization registered members
Keyword SUBdisplay or '%' can be used to show the sub-display for
a record ONLY, without showing the detailed display for the record
itself. Instead, a summary of the matching record is shown, and
then the sub-display follows directly.
Used in conjunction with Full or '=' (e.g. "full sub host CXY-HST"), this provides a means to list out the full record for the users of a host, members of an organization, etc., instead of having to type in all the handles or names individually.
general questions to HOSTMASTER@ARIN.NET
comments and suggestions to HOSTMASTER@ARIN.NET
bug reports to HOSTMASTER@ARIN.NET
other updates to HOSTMASTER@ARIN.NET
The ARIN Registration Services Host contains ONLY Internet Network
Information: Networks, ASN's, and related POC's. Please use the
whois server at rs.internic.net for DOMAIN related Information and
whois.nic.mil for NIPRNET Information.