Greetings colleagues! We have rented a virtual foreign server (VDS) for a long time to host our websites, but we have now decided to move them to native web hosting. However, whoever managed the server also screwed the DNS zone of the main domain, which is still hanging in the following textual form:
$TTL 3600
@ IN SOA ns1.first-ns.de. postmaster.robot.first-ns.de. (
2019040100 ; serial
14400 ; refresh
3600 ; retry
604800 ; expire
3600 ) ; minimum
@ IN NS robotns3.second-ns.com.
@ IN NS robotns2.second-ns.de.
@ IN NS ns1.first-ns.de.
@ IN A 1x9.xx1.xx0.xx0 - external IP of the VDS server
* IN A 1x9.xx1.xx0.xx0 - external IP of the VDS
rols server IN A 1x9.xx1.xx0.xx0 - external IP of the VDS
crm server IN A 2xx.xx7.xx7.1xx - one of the white IP of our provider (our internal is hanging here.server)
.... IN A xхx.xхx.xхx.xхx
www IN A 1x9.xx1.xx0.xx0 - external IP of the VDS server
We need to modify the IP addresses for the subdomain rols.xхxxхxxхxx.com and the records opposite the rolls, * and www, to the IP DNS server of the new web hosting to ensure that requests go there once the website has been transferred. However, I am unsure of what to do with the @ entries. Does the @ entry indicate that the domain zone is <ours domain.com> lying on these servers? What should I do with the line @ IN A 1x9.xx1.xx0.xx0 - external IP of the VDS server?
There are also other records in the zone that I am unsure of, such as DMARC and DKIM records. However, there is a string starting with @ indicating the SPF record. Can someone provide more information about what this means?
Since the DNS zone remains in the old place for now, should we only change the entries in the first block (*) and www? Or should we also modify the line @ IN A 1x9.xx1.xx0.xx0 - the external IP of the VDS server? Are there any other lines starting with @ that we should not touch?
Thank you for your help.
To put it simply, the @ symbol is included at the start of a DNS record line if the name is absent. The user wonders if the @ entry indicates that their domain zone is on specific servers. But in reality, the NS record type signifies that those servers are responsible for the domain zone, not the @ symbol.
The mentioned nameservers belong to a foreign web hosting. After the end of the contract, the user will lose access to the DNS admin panel of the hosting and will not be able to make any changes. Therefore, it is crucial to change the nameservers for the domain zone. Two nameservers must be found to hold the zone, and the provider often offers this service for free. It's better to voice the domain instead of hiding it as it would be clearer where it is registered and who the registrar is. The transfer of zones to new nameservers is simple: first, add them to the list of existing nameservers and wait for the transfer of zones. Then delete unnecessary nameservers from the admin panel of the domain zone, which can be done through the registrar's admin panel.
The "@" symbol in DNS zone files represents the root domain or the main domain itself. In your case, it represents "yourdomain.com". The line "@ IN A 1x9.xx1.xx0.xx0" specifies that the IP address of the VDS server is associated with the main domain.
To modify the IP addresses for the subdomain "rols.yourdomain.com" and the records for "*", and "www", you need to replace the existing IP addresses with the new IP addresses of your new web hosting server. This ensures that requests for these subdomains are directed to the new web hosting server once the website has been transferred.
Regarding the other records in the zone, DMARC, DKIM, and SPF are email-related records used for email authentication and security purposes. DMARC helps protect your domain reputation by preventing email spoofing. DKIM helps verify the authenticity of emails sent from your domain. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) specifies which servers are allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain. These records are independent of website hosting and should not require any changes when moving your website to a new hosting provider.
Since the DNS zone still resides on the old servers, you only need to modify the entries in the first block for "*", and "www" to point to the new IP address of your new web hosting server. You can leave the line "@ IN A 1x9.xx1.xx0.xx0" untouched as long as you don't want any requests to the root domain to go to the new web hosting server. Other lines starting with "@" should not be modified unless you have specific requirements or instructions from your new web hosting provider.
When it comes to DNS zone files and their configuration, it's important to understand the different types of records you may encounter. Here are some common examples:
- A record: This associates a domain or subdomain with an IP address. For example, the entry "rols.yourdomain.com IN A 1x9.xx1.xx0.xx0" links the subdomain "rols.yourdomain.com" to the IP address "1x9.xx1.xx0.xx0".
- CNAME record: This sets up an alias for a domain or subdomain. Instead of pointing directly to an IP address, a CNAME record points to another domain/subdomain. For example, if you have a CNAME record "sub.yourdomain.com IN CNAME yourdomain.com", requests for "sub.yourdomain.com" would be redirected to "yourdomain.com".
- MX record: This specifies the mail servers responsible for receiving email for a domain. It is used for email routing. MX records are typically configured with priority values indicating the order in which servers should be used.
- TXT record: This allows you to store various kinds of text-based information in the DNS. They are often used for email authentication (like SPF, DMARC, and DKIM), site verification, and other purposes.
When migrating your website to a new hosting provider, it's primarily the A or CNAME records that need to be updated to point to the new server's IP address or domain name. The "@" symbol refers to the root domain itself, so updating the "@ IN A 1x9.xx1.xx0.xx0" line to the IP address of your new web hosting server would redirect any requests to the root domain to the new server. However, this may not be necessary if you want to keep the root domain pointed to the old server.
To ensure a smooth migration, it's best to consult with your new web hosting provider for specific instructions on DNS configuration. They can provide guidance on what records need to be updated and any other specific requirements they may have.