Before you read too far through this post, please note I am very new to the web server management scene, I'm not looking to build a run a website hosting business or anything like that, I'm simply trying to help a local NPO with a website. Good old charitable work and all that..

 

 

So, with that out of the way, here is what I currently have to work with...

• A private VPS with BlueVM (based in USA) with a single static IP address
  
• Two domain names registered (more details below)
  

AfriHost handle my domain (boxofgrief), and with my DNS Management control panel in their clientzone I've directed the domain to my VPS, so I've got no issues there.

 

The top level DNS record for the NPO's domain (gecco.org.za) is managed by Internet Solutions (let's just call them 'IS') here in South Africa. Although I don't have any sort of control panel access, it's easy enough to update that, all I need to do is send them an email with the new details (which they validate before updating). However, this is where I'm getting stuck.

 

 

If I'm not mistaken, I should be able to use the root zone in BIND on my VPS to setup a small name server, add records for the NPO's domain, and then simply get IS to use the name server from my domain. Correct?

 

Before I go requesting changes though, I just want to check that what I want to do can actually be done. If you can help me and need more info first, please let met know.. I'm running Webmin (with VirtualMin) on my server, but I do also have SSH access as well.

 

Anyone feel like helping me out here?

Hi ZaLiTH, you are indeed correct.

 

I'm not sure you need your own DNS server, it sounds likes your DNS is already being handled by AfriHost, if your domain is already being pointed to your static IP via their control panel, all you need to do is give IS the IP's of AfriHost's NS servers. This is also a great deal more simpler than setting up (and supporting) your own DNS system.

 

P.S Love your avatar, Day of the Tentacle takes me back

Hi ZaLiTH, you are indeed correct.

 

I'm not sure you need your own DNS server, it sounds likes your DNS is already being handled by AfriHost, if your domain is already being pointed to your static IP via their control panel, all you need to do is give IS the IP's of AfriHost's NS servers. This is also a great deal more simpler than setting up (and supporting) your own DNS system.

 

P.S Love your avatar, Day of the Tentacle takes me back

Hi JaCEnt,

 

I'm not sure if I can use AfriHost's name servers for this, they don't know anything about the gecco.org.za domain... When I log into my clientzone, I can only add/edit records for my personal domain (boxofgrief.co,za), I can't add other domains to the list. If my idea of running a name server on my box doesn't work out, I'll check on the possibility of managing the gecco.org.za DNS from my clientzone as well.

 

What I would ultimately like (partly because I have a VPS with the required capabilities and partly because I'm a bit of a control freak), is have IS's records point to my own name server (perhaps using ns1.boxofgrief.co.za for example), so I can control DNS for gecco.org.za from there.

 

Currently gecco.org.za is going to a friend's NS (ns1.crc.za.net, ns2.crc.za.net), from which point it's being directed to my VPS's IP address. He has immigrated though and is trying to shut down his server, so I need to get IS to direct requests to my server directly, instead of going through his first. Not sure if that clarifies my reasoning for this request?

 

 

re:P.S. DOTT was an awesome game, I actually still play it now and then, but Purple has been my avatar of choice for more years than I care to remember.

Edited October 31, 201213 yr by ZaLiTH

Yup, it is possible to setup your own nameservers with a single IP. Easier with two, obviously.

 

You'll need to register your nameservers (let's call them ns1 and ns2) by IP in your AfriHost panel (can't help you with that; I've never used it), then you can point boxofgrief.co.za and gecco.org.za's nameservers to ns1.boxofgrief.co.za and ns2.boxofgrief.co.za.

Edited October 31, 201213 yr by Renaissance-Design

Yup, it is possible to setup your own nameservers with a single IP. Easier with two, obviously.

 

You'll need to register your nameservers (let's call them ns1 and ns2) by IP in your AfriHost panel (can't help you with that; I've never used it), then you can point boxofgrief.co.za and gecco.org.za's nameservers to ns1.boxofgrief.co.za and ns2.boxofgrief.co.za.

Ah, ok cool. Looking at the DNS management in my AfriHost panel, it already has ns1.boxofgrief.co.za and ns2.boxofgrief.co.za with the correct IP... So that actually makes it really simple then. I'll put through my DNS update request for the gecco.org.za domain now quickly and see if they like it.

 

Thanks Chris, you have an uncanny knack for making things sound so simple.

So... IS accepted my update request, and the change has now taken effect, but something seems to have gone quite badly awry now... If you try access gecco.org.za, Chrome gives me "Error 137 (net::ERR_NAME_RESOLUTION_FAILED): Unknown error." (FF and IE just fail to load the page). I was pretty sure I had everything ready to go, but apparently not.

 

The DNS settings for my domain have the following records:

 

The ns1 and ns2 records were already there, I didn't need to add them myself. I'm not sure what to try next. Any suggestions?

My apologies for double posting, can't edit the message I posted last night.. I just found a DNS health checking service at www.intodns.com, which amongst other things, told me:

 

If I understand this correctly, this means I also need to have ns1 and ns2 set up as A records pointing to my VPS IP in my AfriHost DNS panel, since that's handling DNS for boxofgrief.co.za. Is that assumption correct?

 

Edit: Yay! The A records worked. Happy dance time... Must admit most of this does still go a bit over my head, but considering it's just a hobby, it's already been a very educational ride so far.

Edited November 6, 201213 yr by ZaLiTH