How to configure custom name servers

If you have a reseller, managed VPS, or Dedicated Server account, you can set up and use custom name servers. For example, if your domain were example.com, you could use custom name servers named ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com.

Configuring custom name servers is a two-step process. First, you must add A records for the custom name servers (or verify that you already have functioning A records for the name servers). Second, you must register the custom name servers with the domain's registrar. Additionally, resellers must also submit a support ticket after completing these configuration steps so A2 Hosting Support can add the new custom name servers to the A2 Hosting DNS cluster.

Adding A records for the custom name servers

If you have a reseller hosting account, the first step for configuring custom name servers is to create DNS A records for the hosts.

ping ns1.example.com

dig ns1.example.com

To create the custom name server A records for a reseller account, follow these steps:

1. Log in to WebHost Manager.
2. From the WebHost Manager home screen, click DNS Functions, and then click Edit DNS Zone.
3. Select the primary domain for your account, and then click Edit. The DNS zone information for the domain appears.
4. Scroll down the page to the Add New Entries Below this Line section.
5. In the first text box, type ns1. Leave the value 14400 in the second text box.
6. In the list box, select A.
7. In the IP or Hostname text box that appears, type 162.159.24.43.
8. In the second text box, type ns2. Leave the value 14400 in the second text box.
9. In the list box, select A.
10. In the IP or Hostname text box that appears, type 162.159.25.30.
11. Scroll to the end of the page, and then click Save. You are now ready to register the name servers.

Registering the custom name servers

After you have verified that your domain has the correct A records configured, you can register the name servers. The procedure to do this depends on where you registered the domain.

Domains registered with A2 Hosting

If you registered your domain with A2 Hosting, follow these steps to register the custom name servers:

1. Log in to the Customer Portal.
   If you do not know how to log in to the Customer Portal, please see this article.
2. On the menu bar, click DOMAINS, and then click click MY DOMAINS:

   

3. Locate the domain that will use custom name servers, click the down arrow, and then click Manage Nameservers:
   

   

4. In the Manage sidebar, click Private Nameservers.

5. If you are registering a name server for the first time, under Register a NameServer Name, in the Nameserver text box, type the name of the first name server. This is normally ns1.
   

   Typically, name servers use names like ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com, where example.com represents your domain name.

   

6. In the IP Address text box, type the IP address associated with the name server.
   

   For A2 Hosting VPS plans, you can find this information in the A2 Hosting Customer Portal at https://my.a2hosting.com.
7. Click Save Changes.
8. Repeat steps 5 to 7 for the second name server. Typically, the second name server is named ns2.

Domains registered with a third-party provider

The exact steps for registering custom name servers depend on the third-party provider that you are using.

However, generally, you can do this by logging in to the registrar's web interface and looking for an option similar to “Register custom nameservers” or “Register hostname”. If you cannot find where to do this, contact your registrar's technical support.

For example, for information about how to set up custom name servers for domains registered with GoDaddy, please visit this page. 

Activating the custom name servers with A2 Hosting (resellers only)

The following step is only required for customers with reseller hosting accounts.

After you register the name servers with the third-party provider, go to the A2 Hosting Customer Portal at https://my.a2hosting.com and open a support ticket. Please let us know the names of the newly-configured custom name servers so we can add them to the A2 Hosting DNS cluster.