Server Settings?

EGS

Verified User
Joined
Aug 18, 2007
Messages
70
Location
New Jersey
Hello.

I was not the one that set-up my server, so I am wondering if I edit the server settings, if my server will remain online and my sites still resolve properly? :confused:

Basically why I want to edit the server settings is because when you reverse the IPs of my sites or whatever, it comes up nameservers and IP addresses that don't actually work. I guess my host just put it in there to put the server up.

This causes a problem for me because I have a forum, and when members register with ISP email addresses - AOL specifically - the emails from my server bounce and get rejected as spam, because the domain doesn't match the DNS/reverse IP credentials [because of the server settings I guess].

Now, is it safe to edit the following information to reflect my administrator/"master" domain?: :confused:
  • Server's hostname (currently a subdomain of my host)
  • NS1 (currently a NS of my host)
  • NS2 (currently a NS of my host)

I'd like to edit the above information to reflect my administrator/"master" domain that's on my server, the domain that lies within my administrator account. Will this be okay?

I understand from speaking to a representative of another hosting company that the server's hostname really doesn't matter, and can really be any subdomain I choose on my master domain.

My master domain also has the nameservers already registered to the assigned IP address, so I guess this should be okay? :confused:

Please confirm and provide as much information as possible.
 
Hello,

Lets assume for example pursoses that your domain is called:

domain.com

and your hosts domain is called:

host.com

with a hostname and nameservers of:

server.host.com
ns1.host.com
ns2.host.com


At the moment, domain.com is using ns1/ns2.host.com as it's nameservers.

If you want to have domain.com use ns1.domain.com and ns2.domain.com you'll need to do a few steps.

1) create the A records for ns1 and ns2 for your domain.
User Level -> DNS Management -> Add A records:

ns1 A 1.2.3.4
ns2 A 1.2.3.5

where 1.2.3.4 and 1.2.3.5 would be replaced with IPs that exist on your system. Likely, assuming that ns1/ns2.host.com resolve to your server, then you'd use the same IPs that they resolve to.

2) on the same Dns Management page, you'll want to change the NS records in your domain.com zone to reflect the new values. Delete the 2 existing NS records for ns1.host.com. and ns2.host.com.. Add 2 new NS values:

domain.com. NS ns1
domain.com. NS ns2

Note the simple format of just "ns1". You can use "ns1.domain.com." if you want, it's the same thing, but ensure you have a dot at the very end of "ns1.domain.com." if you use that format, or else name will convert it to "ns1.domain.com.domain.com." ... which is why the dot is important.

3) once ns1.domain.com and ns2.domain.com resolve, go to your domain registrars website. This is where you purchased your domain.com domain. From there you must register ns1.domain.com and ns2.domain.com as nameservers. You'll likely have to specify the IPs that go with them as well.

4) Once the nameserver registration goes through, then (still at your registrars website) you'll update your NS records for domain.com to use ns1.domain.com and ns2.domain.com

Note that making changes at your registrar can sometimes involve a lot of waiting for things to update, so patience is key. It can sometimes take several days for nameservesr to become registered (step 3)



Regarding the hostname of the server, server.host.com can be anything you want, as long as it's not a domain you use.

For example this is not valid for a hostname:
domain.com
host.com

However, this is valid for a hostname:
server.domain.com
www.domain.com
ns1.domain.com
sameidea.host.com
etc...
rules about that: http://help.directadmin.com/item.php?id=16

It must resolve.

John
 
I think this has already been done. :confused:
I registered the nameservers at the registrar and made all the A, IP etc settings the IP address and the domain name.

Is it save to do it now?
 
If the nameservers are done registering.. usually, you can run a dig:
Code:
dig ns1.[B]domain.com[/B]
which will do the lookup at the parent nameservers, even if you do not yet have the ns1/ns2 records yet..

or easier still, the registrar simply won't let you change your NS record at their site if the NS values are not yet registered. So if it works, then it's ready. If it doesn't let you, then it's not.

John
 
Have you tried asking your server provider to setup a custom reverse DNS entry for your IP addresses? Most will at no charge.
 
Reverse DNS works for my master domain and all records reflect my master domain when necessary.

Is it safe to edit the settings now? :) I don't want to break my site (or cause any downtime).
 
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