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Posts tagged as “A record”

5 DNS records you should know

By Bob on March 5, 2022

What are the DNS records?

DNS records are text-based instruction for name servers (DNS servers) that can serve to link hosts to IP addresses, IP addresses back to hosts, services to hosts, one name of a host to another, combine to have complex rules, and more. 

There are some DNS records that are quite essential for the DNS functionally. Here are the first you should learn.  

The 5 DNS records you should know are:

A record

A record is the first that you think about when you are talking about DNS. It links domain name / hostnames to their IP addresses. When somebody wants to visit a site, they usually know its name (domain name). But what they actually need to find it is its address. The visitor’s browser will go on a long search, from one DNS server to another, until it gets the A record that resolves the query. It gets it back, and the browser knows already where the site is and can load it. 

SOA record

This is the start of authority record, which indicates the primary DNS server – the authoritative name server. It also contains information about the DNS zone, and it is a must-have for the normal functionality of your DNS network. Inside it, you can find out which is exactly the authoritative server, who is responsible for it, how often should the DNS server refresh, and more. 

PTR record

It is a bit neglected DNS record, but it is a must-have if you want to send emails without problems. The PTR is a pointer record that has a functionality opposite to the A record, and it serves for Reverse DNS. It can point an IP address to a domain name. Why do you need it if people don’t remember IP addresses? For the machines! Because when you send an email, the receiver will want to check if this email was really sent on behalf of the domain it is saying or no. If the A record and the PTR record are not configured properly, the emails will go to spam. It can work both with IPv4 addresses and A records or with IPv6 addresses and AAAA records. 

Why do you need a PTR record?

CNAME record

The CNAME record is used to show which is the real domain name (canonical) for domain / subdomain that you are looking for. You should know this DNS record because you should use it for all your subdomains. That way, you can just create CNAME record for them and point to the domain name without the need to create more DNS records for them. When you update DNS records for the YOURDOMAIN.com, you won’t need to update subdomain1.YOURDOMAIN.com, subdomain2.YOURDOMAIN.com, and so on. It will facilitate DNS management for you. 

MX record

This record is also important for email correspondence. It is known as the mail eXchanger record. It will show which exactly is the server or servers that are responsible for accepting emails for the domain. As you can most probably guess, without this DNS record, the sending servers won’t know to who they should send messages, and you can’t receive emails. So, with the PTR, you were fixing the sending, and with the MX record, you are fixing the receiving part. 

Conclusion

This is a good first step into the world of DNS. There are plenty of DNS records more, but now you know how the most important of them look like. The A, SOA, PTR, CNAME, MX are among the first that you should know and start using right away. 

Dynamic DNS – Common ways to use it

By Bob on January 27, 2022

For many people, using a Dynamic DNS could be really advantageous. Put simply, this DNS service is a method for automatically refreshing new IP addresses. We’ll look at what Dynamic DNS is and how it works in more detail in this article.

Dynamic DNS – What does it mean? 

Dynamic DNS, also known as DDNS, is a very useful service that allows us to keep the DNS constantly updated, with the correct IP address, even when the Internet Protocol is changing. Commonly, these kinds of resources include a Web server, a Web camera, or a computer for remote control operation.

The Domain Name System (DNS), as we already know, is a user-friendly and simple-to-use system for associating domains with their IP addresses. Unfortunately, these Internet Protocols are running out on a daily basis. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are attempting to avoid this scarcity by utilizing dynamic DNS in particular. DDNS automatically logs changes from dynamic IP addresses. This ensures that domains remain connected to the appropriate Internet Protocols.

How does it work?

Most often, to take advantage of a dynamic DNS, you need to look for a provider. Then when you find it, you need to install their software on the host computer or on the router. When the IP addresses provided by the ISP are changed, this software connects with the DDNS service provider. As a result, the dynamic DNS provider updates the A record or AAAA record to reflect the changes, resulting in near-instantaneous updates.

In addition, a dynamic DNS service is incompatible with networks that use static IP addresses. This is because the domain name does not need to be asked again after the IP address is given the first time. The reason is straightforward: static IP addresses do not change.

Why do you need to benefit from Dynamic DNS? 

There are many advantages. Some of which are as follows:

  1. It keeps you online. It will reduce downtime by automatically updating A record or AAAA record. As a result, the gadgets or services will continue to be accessible via the Internet.
  2. Incredibly simple. It only has to be set up once – for example, IP cameras for surveillance. You’ll need to configure your router’s Dynamic DNS service by heading to settings and entering the user and password.
  3. Static IPs are more expensive. If you have multiple devices, it will be far more cost-effective to pay for only one DDNS service. It could be costly to pay for each static IP address.

Conclusion

We can conclude that it is a long and complex explanation for a very simple service that keeps millions of people connected to their devices all over the world. Remember that the DDNS method is useful in the case of dynamic IP addresses. The Dynamic Domain Name System (DDNS) is a very helpful technology that can save you a lot of time and money. It may be the only logical solution to a problem in some cases.