gethostbyname bug

The following code should look up a host address and according to what I can see should return NULL if it fails:

     _swi ( Hourglass_On,0 );
     host = gethostbyname( server ) ;
      _swi ( Hourglass_Off,0 );
     if ( (char*)host == NULL  )
     {
       sprintf( display_string, "Host lookup for '%s' FAILED.", server ) ;
       button_set_value( 0, TestConnect_WindowHandle, 6, display_string ) ;
       doing_test = 0 ;
       test_stage = 0 ;
       test_connect = 0 ;
     }
     else
     {
       sprintf( display_string, "Host lookup for '%s' SUCCESS.", server ) ;
       button_set_value( 0, TestConnect_WindowHandle, 6, display_string ) ;
       doing_test = 0 ;
     }

However on an invalid hostname this doesn’t return NULL, or it isn’t for me.
Looks like I’ll have to check the host→h_addr field and validate it…

Wow, this is irritiating!
It looks like as my router has filtering on it, opendns resolves all domains.
Looks like I’ll have to add 67.215.65.132 as a “not found lookup” grrrr…
That is maddening! DNS is there for a reason, lookup failures are there for a reason.
WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE TO BREAK ****? Just so it looks “pretty”?

Even worse with the filtering off, it looks like KC (Kingston Communications) are doing similar kinds of $$$$ – unbelievable!
Time to dig out my dreamplug I think and configure a proper service for myself!
So many people deserve a slow painful death, and so few people to do the work!

Updated my code as follows:

     _swi ( Hourglass_On,0 );
     host = gethostbyname( server ) ;
      _swi ( Hourglass_Off,0 );
     if (  (char *)host == NULL )
     {
       sprintf( display_string, "Host lookup for '%s' FAILED.", server ) ;
       button_set_value( 0, TestConnect_WindowHandle, 6, display_string ) ;
       doing_test = 0 ;
       test_stage = 0 ;
       test_connect = 0 ;
     }
     else
     {
       /* This SHOULD mean that the host exists, but some idiots decided to break basic functionality. */
       /* So instead of saying a host doesn't exist they want to show you a pretty web page hosted on their */
       /* servers. Naturally the people who decided this should be hung, drawn and quartered */
       sprintf( display_string, "Host Lookup Success.") ;
       button_set_value( 0, TestConnect_WindowHandle, 6, display_string ) ;
       doing_test = 0 ;
     }