How To Managing DNS Records

Managing DNS Records

Custom DNS records can be useful when you want to use third-party services for certain functions or to provide enhanced functionality to your site using your domain.
For instance, you can use Google Apps Standard Edition for e-mail and other functions for your site.

MX Records

MX Records are used to route your e-mail through your domain and tell it what machine is handling your e-mail.
You should only have the MX records of one service provider on your domain at any given time or you may encounter issues with mail being routed to multiple locations at random.

Deleting Existing MX Records

1. Login to your website control panel
2. Click on MX Records
3. Click Delete next to each record you wish to remove

It would be wise to note the records you are deleting just in case you have to re-add them including the priority of each one.

Adding MX Records

1. Login to your website control panel
2. Click on MX Records
3. Select the domain on the left via the dropdown menu (eg. example.org)
4. Enter the MX record on the right (eg. mxrecord.example.net) as detailed to you by your provider
5. Enter the Priority of the record (eg. 10) as detailed by your provider
6. Click Add
7. Repeat steps 3-6 as needed for each MX record

That is all that is needed to start routing your mail to third-party mail providers which you prefer.

CNAME Records

CNAME records are records used to associate a new record (eg. mail.example.org) with an existing record (eg. ghs.google.com) this makes it so you anytime ghs.google.com changes its records, you do not have to change your records too.

Adding CNAME Records

1. Login to your website control panel
2. Click on CNAME Records
3. On the left, type the name of your record (eg. mail) for the Record Name
4. From the dropdown menu in the middle, select the domain (eg. example.org)
5. Under Destination on the right, type the destination of the record (eg. ghs.google.com) as detailed by your provider without the trailing period or dot
6. Click Add
7. Repeat steps 3-6 as needed

Remember, you must configure a CNAME record on both sides so once you have it set in your control panel, visit your service provider and add the same record for their service if necessary.

Removing CNAME Records

1. Login to your website control panel
2. Click on CNAME Records
3. Click on Delete next to each record you wish to remove

Originally posted on May 28, 2011 @ 6:56 pm