You probably want nslookup rather than tracert if all you want is a name service lookup and not a trace of a route. That's not exactly a Perl question. Oh, and if you mean by "forensics script" that you're just mapping your network, then fine. If you mean "forensics" as in you're an "expert witness" providing evidence and testimony in someone's trial, you should probably resign and let someone more familiar with the tools of the trade take over.