Custom DNS How-to

Creating and configuring Custom DNS from start to finish

Step One: Domain Registration

Before you can create Custom DNS service for a domain, the domain itself will need to be registered. You generally have three options:

If you need to create new registration or transfer the domain to us, please see the Domain Registration guides for more information.

Step Two: Create Custom DNS Service

You will need to create the Custom DNS zone in our Add Zone Services Wizard. Enter your domain name (domain.com, not www.domain.com) and select "Yes, I need primary DNS for this domain (Custom DNS service)" under the Domain Name Services option, and click Next. (If you are also purchasing domain registration or mail services, you can select these as well.)

You will be asked to choose a Service Period between one and five years, and an interface type.

Once you have selected an interface (which can be switched at any time through the zone's Preferences page), click Next. The service will be added to your shopping cart. You can continue shopping or check out to create the service.

Step Three: Delegation

Now that the Custom DNS zone is created, you will need to change your domain's delegation to our nameservers. Nameserver delegation defines which servers are responsible for a domain's resolution. There are two choices at this stage:

Custom DNS Nameservers

Server IP Address
ns1.mydyndns.org   (Required) 204.13.248.76
ns2.mydyndns.org   (Required) 204.13.249.76
ns3.mydyndns.org 208.78.69.76
ns4.mydyndns.org 91.198.22.76
ns5.mydyndns.org 203.62.195.76

Important note: Custom DNS cannot function if nameservers other than our nsX.mydyndns.org servers are listed in the delegation. Having "foreign" nameservers listed will prevent Custom DNS from initially activating, and later adding these extraneous nameservers will cause the service to deactivate within two weeks of the change. Please ensure only our five nameservers are listed in the delegation.

Depending on the TLD (e.g. .com, .net, .org) of your domain, delegation may be instantaneous or can take upwards of 24 hours to complete. We have a list of some of the most common TLDs and their propagation times here. Some registrars may require that our servers be pre-activated for your domain; if this is the case, please contact our support team to have the zone pre-activated for you. (Many ccTLDs pre-activate automatically, which will be noted in your zone's configuration.)