Are you planning to migrate your website to a new hosting provider? Worried about how this will impact your domain registration? Changing web hosts doesn’t mean losing access to your site—if you understand how nameservers and the Domain Name System (DNS) work.
At DomainGood.com, we help businesses and individuals register and manage domains seamlessly, just like DreamHost. In this guide, we’ll break down the difference between nameservers and DNS records, how they function, and how you can manage them efficiently.
Let’s dive in!
🔹 What Are Nameservers?
A nameserver is a server that helps translate your website’s domain name (e.g., yourdomain.com) into its numerical IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.1). This process allows web browsers like Google Chrome or Firefox to find and load your website.
📌 Think of nameservers as the bridge between your domain name and your web host.
For example, when you type example.com into a browser, the nameserver tells the browser where to find the actual files of your website, hosted on a specific IP address.
🔍 How Nameservers Work
Every domain has nameservers assigned to it. These nameservers tell the internet where your website is hosted. Here’s a simple breakdown of the process:
1️⃣ A user enters yourdomain.com in their browser.
2️⃣ The browser checks the domain’s nameservers to find the right hosting server.
3️⃣ The nameservers provide the IP address where your website is stored.
4️⃣ The browser loads the website using this information.
🌍 Example of Nameservers
When you register a domain with DomainGood.com, you receive default nameservers like:
- ns1.domaingood.com
- ns2.domaingood.com
- ns3.domaingood.com
These nameservers connect your domain to your hosting provider’s server.
📢 If you switch hosting providers, you need to update your domain’s nameservers to point to the new hosting company!
🔹 What Is DNS (Domain Name System)?
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a global directory that stores information about domains and their IP addresses. It helps translate human-friendly domain names (like yourdomain.com) into machine-readable IP addresses.
📌 Think of DNS like a phonebook: Instead of remembering phone numbers, you look up a name to get the correct number.
🔹 DNS Records: Types & Functions
Every domain has DNS records, which store different types of information. Let’s break down the most important DNS records:
✅ A Record (Address Record)
- What it does: Points a domain (or subdomain) to an IP address.
- Example:
- yourdomain.com → 192.168.1.1
✅ CNAME Record (Canonical Name Record)
- What it does: Maps a subdomain to another domain.
- Example:
- blog.yourdomain.com → yourdomain.com
- This means blog.yourdomain.com will show the same content as yourdomain.com.
✅ MX Record (Mail Exchange Record)
- What it does: Directs email traffic to the correct mail server.
- Example:
- yourdomain.com → mail.yourdomain.com
- Ensures emails sent to [email protected] go to the correct mail server.
✅ NS Record (Nameserver Record)
- What it does: Specifies which nameservers are responsible for a domain.
- Example:
- yourdomain.com → ns1.domaingood.com, ns2.domaingood.com
✅ TXT Record (Text Record)
- What it does: Stores additional text-based information.
- Used for:
- Verifying domain ownership (Google, Microsoft, etc.)
- Protecting against spam (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
🔹 How The Browser Finds Your Website
When someone enters yourdomain.com, the following happens:
1️⃣ The browser queries your domain registrar’s DNS for the correct nameserver.
2️⃣ The nameserver directs the browser to the hosting provider.
3️⃣ The hosting provider’s server responds with the website’s files and data.
4️⃣ The browser loads the page instantly.
💡 If you change web hosts, you must update your nameservers or your site won’t load!
🔹 How To Manage Your Nameservers & DNS
🔍 How To Find Your Nameservers
1️⃣ Log in to your DomainGood.com account.
2️⃣ Navigate to “My Domains” and select your domain.
3️⃣ Look for the Nameservers section.
📢 If your domain is registered elsewhere, update your nameservers via your registrar’s dashboard.
✏️ How To Edit Your Nameservers
- If you’re moving to a new host, replace the old nameservers with your new provider’s nameservers.
- Example: Changing from ns1.oldhost.com to ns1.newhost.com.
📌 Changes can take up to 72 hours to fully update worldwide (DNS Propagation).
🔹 Monitoring Your DNS Records
After making changes, check if your updates have propagated:
✔️ Use DomainGood.com’s DNS Checker (Coming Soon).
✔️ Use third-party tools like whatsmydns.net.
🔹 FAQs
❓ What Is The Difference Between A DNS Zone & A Nameserver?
A DNS zone contains all the DNS records for a domain (A, MX, TXT, etc.). A nameserver is the server that stores and manages those records.
❓ What Is TTL In DNS?
TTL (Time to Live) determines how long DNS information is cached. Lower TTL values update faster but increase DNS queries.
❓ What Is DNS Propagation?
The time it takes for DNS changes to update across the internet (usually 24-72 hours).
🚀 Why Choose DomainGood.com?
At DomainGood.com, we make domain registration & management seamless:
✔️ Easy DNS Management – Update records with just a few clicks.
✔️ Fast Domain Transfers – Move your domain without downtime.
✔️ Free WHOIS Privacy – Protect your identity online.
✔️ Reliable Customer Support – Available to help you 24/7.
💡 Ready to register a domain or migrate your site? Sign up at DomainGood.com today!
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