Nameservers match domain names to IP addresses. When a visitor attempts to find a website that your server hosts, their computer asks a nameserver for the IP address of the domain that they wish to view. The nameserver returns the IP address for your web server and directs the visitor to the correct page.
You must publish records for your domain names to nameservers so that visitors can reach those sites.
These nameservers communicate with other nameservers to distribute the records of sites that your server hosts.
The propagation period is the amount of time that it takes for a domain’s DNS records to spread across the internet.
You can use a series of WHM interfaces to configure and update your nameservers.
Default nameservers
When you log in to WHM for the first time, you can use default (cprapid.com) nameservers as a placeholder. These default nameservers are incompatible with many domain names, including .com domain names.
To make sure that visitors can find your website, you must update your nameservers in WHM. For more information, read the Configure via WHM interfaces section below.
Configure via WHM interfaces
To configure nameservers via the WHM interface, perform the following steps:
Select a nameserver software
Note:
If you already use your registrar’s DNS services, you can skip this step.
To select a nameserver software, perform the following steps:
.1Navigate to WHM’s Nameserver Selection interface (WHM » Home » Service Configuration » Nameserver Selection).
.2Select the desired nameserver software.
.3Click Save.
Note:
The system installs PowerDNS by default.
Configure your default nameservers
To configure your default nameservers, perform the following steps:
.1Navigate to WHM’s Basic WebHost Manager Setup interface (WHM » Home » Server Configuration » Basic WebHost Manager Setup).
.2At the bottom of the interface, enter the desired nameserver names in the text boxes.
.3Click Save Changes.
We recommend that you use the following guidelines when you name nameservers:
The name must consist of a prefix, a dot (.), and your domain. The common convention for nameservers is to prefix your domain name with ns1 (for example, ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com).
Your nameservers cannot share a name.
We strongly recommend that you use a domain that reflects your company’s main homepage URL.
Add IP addresses
To add IP addresses to your server, perform the following steps:
.1Navigate to WHM’s Add a New IP Address interface (WHM » Home » IP Functions » Add a New IP Address).
.2Enter the IP address or IP address range in the New IP or IP range to add text box.
.3Enter the subnet mask in the Select a subnet mask for the IP or IPs above to use text box.
.4Enter any IP addresses that you wish to exclude in the IPs and IP ranges to exclude from the range of new IPs text box.
.5Click Submit.
Create A or AAAA entries for your nameservers
To create A or AAAA entries for your nameservers, perform the following steps:
.1Navigate to WHM’s Basic WebHost Manager Setup interface (WHM » Home » Server Configuration » Basic WebHost Manager Setup).
.2Next to the appropriate Nameservers text box, click Configure Address Records. A new interface will appear and the system will perform a DNS lookup on the nameserver that you entered.
.3Optionally, update the IP addresses in the appropriate text boxes.
To enter a different IPv4 address, enter a new value in the Enter an IPv4 address to create an A record text box or Confirm the IPv4 address to create an A record text box.
To enter a different IPv6 address, enter a new value in the Enter an IPv6 address to create an AAAA record (optional) text box.
.4Click Configure Address Records. The system will display the results of your changes.
.5Click Close.
.6Repeat these steps for each nameserver.
Create A entries for your hostname
To create A entries for your hostname, perform the following steps:
.2Enter your server’s IP address in the available text box.
.3Click Add Entry.
Set up nameservers with your registrar
After you configure your server’s nameservers, you must register your nameservers with your registrar.
When you register nameservers, you announce their existence to the rest of the internet. You do not perform this action in cPanel & WHM, but you must do it or your nameservers will not function.
After you configure your nameservers, you may wish to configure special nameservers for your server’s resellers. We design cPanel & WHM to accommodate a white-label reseller experience, which allows customizable branding. You can configure hosting resellers to each use their own nameservers.
Note:
Resellers may use their own nameservers, but individual cPanel accounts cannot use their own nameservers.
To edit nameserver names and assign nameserver IP addresses for individual reseller nameservers, use WHM’s Edit Reseller Nameservers and Privileges interface (WHM » Home » Resellers » Edit Reseller Nameservers and Privileges).
Select a nameserver software
Note:
If you already use your registrar’s DNS services, you can skip this step.
Select the desired nameserver software. cPanel & WHM offers the following nameserver software:
PowerDNS — The system defaults to PowerDNS. For most servers, we recommend that you select PowerDNS.
BIND
Disabled
Name your nameservers
Enter the desired name for each of your nameservers. We recommend that you use the following guidelines when you name nameservers:
The name must consist of a prefix, a dot (.), and your domain. The common convention for nameservers is to prefix your domain name with ns1 (for example, ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com).
Your nameservers cannot share a name.
We strongly recommend that you use a domain that reflects your company’s main homepage URL.
Create A entries and add IP addresses
Select the desired settings for your server’s A entries and IP addresses.
We strongly recommend that you select both the Add “A Entries” for all Nameservers and Add “A Entries” for Hostname checkboxes.
If you do not enter IP addresses in the Please enter an IP address for each of your nameservers text boxes, the system automatically assigns available IP addresses from your server to each nameserver.
Set up nameservers with your registrar
After you configure your server’s nameservers, you must register your nameservers with your registrar.
When you register nameservers, you announce their existence to the rest of the internet. You do not perform this action in cPanel & WHM, but you must do it or your nameservers will not function.
After you configure your nameservers, you may wish to configure special nameservers for your server’s resellers. We design cPanel & WHM to accommodate a white-label reseller experience, which allows customizable branding. You can configure hosting resellers to each use their own nameservers.
Note:
Resellers may use their own nameservers, but individual cPanel accounts cannot use their own nameservers.
To edit nameserver names and assign nameserver IP addresses for individual reseller nameservers, use WHM’s Edit Reseller Nameservers and Privileges interface (WHM » Home » Resellers » Edit Reseller Nameservers and Privileges).
Instructions for various registrars
Each set of instructions assumes that the following statements are true:
You have an account with the registrar.
You have already registered your domain with that company.
You have logged in to your account and are on the first screen that you see after you log in.
123-reg. co. uk
To register with 123-reg.co.uk, perform the following steps:
.1Find and select the domain name for your nameserver (for example, select example.com if you wish to register ns1.example.com).
.2Click Modify domain.
.3Click Change Nameservers.
.4Scroll down and enter the names for your primary and secondary nameservers in the Nameserver 1 and Nameserver 2 text boxes (for example, ns1.example.com).
.5Click Change Nameservers.
.6Enter the IP addresses for your nameservers.
.7Click Change Nameservers.
DirectNIC
To register with DirectNIC, perform the following steps:
.1Click Domain Manager.
.2Click Change Nameserver Information next to your domain.
.3Click Create Nameserver at the top of the interface.
.4Enter your nameserver’s hostname (for example, ns1.example.com).
.5Enter the appropriate IP address.
.6Repeat steps 3 through 5 for your second nameserver.
Dotster
To register with Dotster, perform the following steps:
.1Click on My Domains at the top of the Account Management interface.
.2Click the domain for which you wish to register your nameservers.
.3Click Register Nameserver.
.4Enter the hostname (for example: ns1.example.com) for your first nameserver.
.5Enter the IP address for this nameserver in the four text boxes. You will need to enter each octet of your IP address in its respective text box.
.6Click Update.
.7Repeat steps 3 through 6 for your second nameserver.
DynaDot
To register with DynaDot, perform the following steps:
.1Click Domain Names on the right side of the interface.
.2Click Nameservers near the top of the interface.
.3Click Register a domain name server.
.4Enter the full name of your first nameserver (for example: ns1.example.com) in the Host Name text box.
.5Enter the IP address for that nameserver.
.6Click Submit.
.7Repeat steps 2 through 6 for your second nameserver.
Enom
To register with Enom, perform the following steps:
.1Click Select Domain Names.
.2Click Register DNS.
.3Use the Register a Nameserver Name feature in the first section of the interface to create your nameservers.
GoDaddy
To register with GoDaddy, perform the following steps:
.1Under the Domains heading, click All Domains.
.2Locate the domain for which you wish to set up your nameservers.
.3Click the gear icon and select Manage DNS.
.4Click the Settings tab.
.5Under the Host Names setting, click Manage.
.6Click Add Hostname.
.7Enter the primary nameserver’s name (for example, ns1) in the Hostname text box.
.8Enter the primary nameserver’s IP address in the IP Address text box.
.9Click Add.
.10Repeat steps 6-9 for your secondary nameserver (for example, ns2)
.11Click Save.
.12Click Edit Nameservers.
.13Select Custom.
.14Enter the full hostnames of your two nameservers. (for example, ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com)
.15Click OK.
.16Click Save.
The interface will process your request and then display a “Set Nameservers: Your request has been submitted. Changes may take a few moments to take effect.” message.
NameCheap
To register with NameCheap, perform the following steps:
.1Find the domain in your account and click on it.
.2Click Nameserver Registration.
.3Enter the IP addresses for each of your nameservers.
.4Click Add Nameservers.
Network Solutions
To register with Network Solutions, perform the following steps:
.1Click Manage Host Servers at the bottom left of the interface. If this link fails to appear, use this alternate address.
.2Enter your first nameserver’s hostname (for example, ns1.example.com) in the first text box.
.3Click Go.
.4Enter the IP address of your first nameserver.
.5Click Go.
.6Confirm the changes to the host server.
.7Click Save Changes.
.8Click Back to Account Manager Home.
.9Repeat this process for your second nameserver.
OpenSRS
To register with OpenSRS, perform the following steps:
.1Click Name Servers at the top of the interface.
.2Click Create or modify a name server which is based on…
.3Enter the name (for example: ns1) for your first nameserver.
.4Enter the nameserverʼs IP address.
.5Click Create Name Server.
.6Repeat steps 3 through 6 to add your second nameserver.
Register. com
To register with Register.com, perform the following steps:
.1Click on your domain name.
.2Click Advanced Technical Settings.
.3Click Manage Registered Name Servers.
.4Scroll down to REGISTER NAME SERVER and enter the desired prefix for the first nameserver (for example: ns1).
.5Enter the IP address (A record) in the next text box.