DNS Management: DNS Records Explained

Some Basic Uses Of Various DNS Records

Record Type	Explanation	How Domain Owners Typically Use It
A Record	Assigns an address for your domain to a specific IP (www to 12.345.678.90).	To control which specific servers host a particular function associated with their online presence (website, email, etc). Many other DNS records require an associated A Record in order to function properly.
CNAME Alias	A hostname that points to another hostname (info.your-domain.net to info.your-domain.com).	To point a subdomain to another domain or subdomain (normal subdomains can only point to a directory within your hosting account).
MX Record	A hostname that defines the mail receiving server(s), and the priority in which each server is used in case a server fails to receive mail.	To utilize a different email service than their hosting provider, or to designate personal servers as mail backups just in case the default mail options fail.
NS Record	A hostname that points to a specific name server (shop.your-domain.com to ns1.example.com)	To assign a subdomain to a different name server. Use of an NS record is rare.
Private Name Server	Allows you to define your own name servers rather than use the generic ones provided by iPage (ns1.your-domain.com instead of ns1.ipage.com).	To maintain anonymity between their online business and their hosting provider, or to utilize hosting on their VPS or Dedicated Server.
TXT/SPF Record	A Sender Policy Framework which helps to reduce spam and domain spoofing.	To verify the domain for secure use with external services, such as Google Analytics.

Domain Pointing And Redirecting

You are not always required to change your DNS Records when you want to point your domain or set up a redirect. You can try using a 301 Redirect or simple Domain Pointers to accomplish what you need. These types of redirects are great for forwarding all traffic from one domain onto another. If you need to fine-tune how your domain works, you will need to utilize DNS Records instead.

Knowing Which DNS Records Are Correct

When you register a domain with iPage or add an existing domain on to your iPage account, a zone file (set of DNS records) is created for that domain. The zone file's records all point to iPage's service by default. The settings contained within the zone file only work if your domain's name servers are pointing to iPage (if the name servers are pointing to another company, then the domain would be using the other company's DNS settings).

At iPage, we can help you understand how to make changes to your DNS Records. We can also reset your DNS Records back to the iPage defaults. We can also try to verify that the DNS Records you see inside of Domain Central match what the rest of the world sees (propagation times may cause up to a 48 delay whenever you make a modification to your DNS Records).

However, if you decide to use DNS Records that vary from the iPage defaults, iPage will not be able to verify that you are using accurate records. The records you utilize should be obtained from the company you are trying to point the records to. If you prefer to reset your records back to the iPage defaults, please contact us for assistance.