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Free Advanced DNS Management

Advanced DNS Management is a service that allows you to edit the zone file of your domain name, so that you can point your domain name to a static ip address. Most users will not utilize advanced DNS Management, and will simply delegate the authoritative name server to their hosting company by administering their NS records. and their hosting company will create the necessary zone files for their domain name to work. If you do not have access to a hosting company's name servers, you can use advanced DNS management to point your domain name to a static ip. This is not to be confused with domain forwarding, which involves redirecting a domain name to another URL. Most domain name registrars do not provide you with Advanced DNS Management

Examples of Advanced DNS Management

• redirecting your domain name to a static ip assigned your office or home computer. This allows you to host your website, intranet or database on your local computer
• redirecting your domain name to a dedicated server located in a datacenter. This is a better alternative than using the same dedicated server as a name server and a web server.
• more control to create subdomains and create addtional MX records (if you are hosting your site with a hosting company, your website must have a static ip for you to utilize advanced DNS management. eg. http://209.200.81.245/ is the static ip for www.passioncomputing.com.au . If your hosting company does not provide you with a static ip, then you will not be able to use Advanced DNS Management, you must use your hosting company's name servers. Most websites are hosted on shared ip addresses and you will need to ask your hosting provider if they provide you with a static ip address. )
• Direct the mail associated with your domain name to a local office server, whilst still directing website traffic to the server hosted in your hosting company's datacenter

If you are simply looking to redirect your domain name to a URL, then read domain name forwarding, advanced DNS features are more suited to businesses that have specific requirements. eg. Business A wants to run their own exchange mail server, but still wants to host their website with a hosting company. Company A logs into their domain name management and directs the A record to their hosting company and their MX record their exchange server. Another example is Company B has multiple mail servers and wants to balance the load of these mail servers, so Company B adds additional mail server records to their domain name zone file. Another example is Company C, wants to allow their clients to login to their local server located at their place of business, Company C, edits the zone file and directs their domain name to the static ip address of their server. One last example (though there are many more uses for advanced DNS) is that Company D wants to create a subdomain and associated email address eg. domains.passioncomputing.com.au is a subdomain and @domains.passioncomputing.com.au would be an email address associated with that subdomain. Company D uses advanced DNS Management to create the relevant A Name and MX records.

Common misunderstanding

Advanced DNS Management is not to be confused with domain name forwarding, which allows you to redirect your domain name to another URL. To read more about oour free domain forwarding service, click here.

You cannot delegate your NS records to your hosting company's name servers and use Advanced DNS Management. You must delegate the name servers below as your authoriative name servers and you must have a static ip address to utilize advanced DNS services.

Another value added service

Most users will not use advanced DNS Management. However, there may be situations in the future where you may wish to use advanced DNS features to manage your domain name and knowing that you have access to advanced DNS features when you need them is important . Advanced DNS Management is available by the online domain name management system.

How to activate advanced DNS Management

1. Login to your account and activate advanced DNS management, by clicking on "Add services". You will see the following screens.

Select the product and order 'hosting product' . Screen 2: You must tick the box 'choose only DNS' and click 'order url forwarding/dns hosting'. Wait for the email notifying you that the service has been set up and then log back in and edit your zone file.

Screen 2

 Once the service has been activated, you can then edit your domain name zone files. .

Editing Zone File

Brief Instructions

The following instructions provide a brief overview of how to edit zone files and situations where editing a zone file may be appropriate. If you are not IT savvy, we do not recommend that you attempt to edit the zone files, especially if your site has a live website and email. Editing zone file will affect your website and email, if not done correctly.

Requirements

If you wish to use advanced DNS Management, you must

1. Transfer or buy your domain name with Passion Computing
2. Login with username and password to http://domains.passioncomputing.com.au
3. Cick on "edit" next to the domain you wish to administer, and then click on "Add Services"
4. Choose "dns services only" without domain forwarding.
5. Wait till your service is activated
6. Login in, once your service is activated and click on "zone file"

   To do a simple direct of domain name to a static ip address, do the following:

   Select from the pull down menu A, enter the ip address and click "Add", then enter into another field www  select A and then the ip address. This will create an a name record, so your domain name will work with a www and without a www. Type *  select A and enter the ip address of your website. Below is an example of using advanced dns management to redirect a domain name to a static ip address. You must remember to click 'commit changes' and go back and check that your name server records are the same as the records listed below. (You need 2 A records, one with a "www" - this is so that you will be able to resolve your domain name both with and without the www)

7. 

8. To add a mail record

   Type mail, select MX and type in the ip address of your mail server. This is usually a different ip address from your website, or A name record.

   Then select MX, and add a preference number and your mail server. Your mail server must allow you to receive mail from this domain, or you still will not receive mail.

   The preference number can be a number from 0 to 100, the lowest number is the preferenced mail server.(if you are creating more than one MX record)

   Commit changes

   Until you commit the changes, your changes will not be saved.

Below is an example of what the zone file should look like with mail records in the zone file.

Finally

Check that your Name Server records are set correctly.

Navigate to your NS records and change the name server records to the following. Click update records. Please visit updating name server records for more details on how to change or view your name server records. When using our advanced DNS, you will need to change the name server records to the primary and secondary name server records below. WARNING: If you have a website or email associated with your domain name, these services will be affected by changing the name server records. Do Not change these records unless you know what you are doing !!

Check your zone file records. For the example above, the zone file should look like,

http://download1.swsoft.com/HSPcomplete/3.3/release/doc/HSPC_RG/adding_dns__records_a_cname_mx_ns.htm

http://www.reachcustomersonline.com/content/2003/11/03/15.22.55/index.php