IF YOUR DOMAIN AND HOSTING ARE IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, HOW TO OBTAIN A CDN?

The domain is registered with a Swiss registrar, while hosting is provided by a Russian provider. In order to establish a normal domain-hosting connection, the NS domain names on the registrar side should be changed from Switzerland to the provider's NS names, as has been mentioned already.

However, connecting everything to CloudeFlare CDN poses an additional challenge - getting the site to operate with CDN IP addresses, instead of those belonging to the hosting servers. This process is straightforward when the domain and hosting are in the same location, since the "Russian" NS names can simply be replaced with the CDN names. But what happens in situations like this?

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE ISSUE AT HAND?

I am the owner of a Mali domain, which is registered in the Netherlands and hosted by an Italian reseller through a British operator. The website is accessible through Cloudflare, and images are retrieved from CDN Cloudflare. However, the Italian reseller has configured the domain mail for the Yandex service, whose servers are located in Frankfurt, Germany.

Mail is sent via Google SMTP through TLS on port 465 from Yandex. Reception is done through 993 port. Unfortunately, the customer is situated in Ukraine, where Yandex is banned. Despite this, everything has been functioning smoothly for a number of years.

I apologize if I misunderstand your question, but could you specify at which stage the problem occurs? Let's discuss.

Hello. Hosting and domain are not connected in any way. You can immediately install the NS provided by the CloudFlare provider on the domain and specify the hosting IP there.

In general, after ordering and activating the CloudeFlare service, special NS- CloudeFlare will be provided that will need to be installed for the domain in the domain registrar panel. And then, in the DNS domain settings in the CloudeFlare control panel, you need to specify A record with the IP address of the desired server, from where the site should work and activate the proxy (the IP address of the real server will be hidden by CloudeFlare IP addresses)

DOMAIN AND HOSTING SERVICES ARE DISTINCT

Domain name service and hosting service are two separate services, which can be registered with different companies. Typically, the domain name registrar provides NS that allow editing DNS records.

Using the A-record, the domain name can then be directed from the registrar to the IP server of the hosting provider. This way, the domain name can be linked with the hosting service despite being registered with a different company.

In situations where your domain and hosting are in different locations, configuring a CDN can be a bit more complex. However, it is still possible to use a CDN to improve the performance of your website.

To set up a CDN in this scenario, you will need to follow these general steps:

1. Sign up for a CDN service: Choose a CDN provider that supports your specific requirements and sign up for their service. Cloudflare is a popular choice, but there are other options available as well.

2. Configure your CDN: Once you have signed up, follow the instructions provided by the CDN provider to configure your CDN. This typically involves adding your website's DNS records to the CDN configuration.

3. Update your domain's DNS settings: Go to your domain registrar's control panel and update the DNS settings for your domain. Change the nameserver (NS) records to the CDN's nameservers provided by your CDN provider. This step delegates the DNS resolution to the CDN.

4. Set up reverse proxy: In order to route traffic to your Russian hosting provider through the CDN, you may need to set up a reverse proxy. This can be done by configuring the CDN to act as a proxy server, forwarding requests to your hosting provider's servers.

5. Test and verify: After making all the necessary changes, test your website to ensure it is properly connected to the CDN. Make sure that the CDN IP addresses are being used instead of the hosting server's IP addresses.

Please note that the specific steps and settings required may vary depending on the CDN provider you choose and the hosting setup you have. It is recommended to consult the documentation and support provided by your CDN provider for detailed instructions tailored to your specific situation.