NameServer Restriction

[starman7]

Hello, One of our vendors is using Plesk to host a project for us. They tell me we must update our domain, at the registrar, to use their nameservers .

I would like to retain control of the nameservers for this domain, and just point the relevant hosts (www, etc.) to the IP address of his server (via the convenient web interface our nameserver provider provides).

Might there be some restriction in Plesk that all domains hosted via their account require the use of one, perhaps hard-coded nameserver -- the one they want us to use?

This from the manual:
"Through Plesk, users can manage DNS zone settings, if permitted."

Does 'users' above refer to the vendor, or his clients (us)?

Does Plesk use standard Apache name-based vhosts - so that this would work?

They provided me the IP address of their server, but after setting our DNS to point to it, I receive a page that says 'sorry - access forbidden' which seems to be a non-standard Apache error, and may just be the default page for an un-configured vhost.

Are they correct (I must use their nameserver), or is the vhost just not configured? The server is running Apache/1.3.29 (Unix).

Thanks for any info,
s7

 

[Freebyrd]

No you don't have to use there name servers, I have a lot of ppl using the www foward with there domain reg.

If they won't let you do it, I would be more then happy to host your site for you, www.webhostbox.com

Jason Smith

 

[starman7]

Clarification

I would rather not use a forward or any workaround other than direct specification of our nameservers.

Doing a little research, it looks like the vendor could be using a template for DNS?

http://download1.sw-soft.com/Plesk/Plesk7/Doc/html/plesk-7-admins-manual/ch03s11.html

From the above URL, it looks like the vendor could disable DNS for our domain, and specify our nameservers for our domain. Is this correct?

Can this be done on a per client basis (as in only for our domain)? Or does this setting affect his whole implementation?

Can someone clarify this, and better yet, just post the exact steps to use remote DNS for a single Plesk hosted domain? For example, do it only for our site but not their other customers.

Thanks,
s7

p.s. i am a little confused as to why dns must be specified for our domain at all in plesk, since i assume this is an apache vhost implementation, won't the server just serve correctly based on host header? why is plesk concerned about nameservers if it is just hosting the webspace. or is that what disabling dns does? then why the need to specify NS records if DNS is disabled?

 

[faris]

Don't worry. I think you misunderstood the word "forward".

By forward, Freebyrd just meant "change to".

For example, your DNS settings might be like this now:

www.domain.com A 123.123.123.123
domain.com A 123.123.123.123
domain.com MX10 domain.com

(or something like that)

If you want your new host to handle JUST www, then you'd just change the first line so that the 123.123.123.123 was whatever their server's address is.

And if you want both domain and email, you'd change the MX record too (or, in the example DNS config above, which will not apply to everybody, you'd just change the domain.com A record.

However, it is much easier just to change the nameserver associated with your domain to those given by your new host. You still retain control - if you need to, you just change them back to whatever they are now.

You see there are other bits to add, like webmail, and subdomains and things, and if you don't change the nameservers to hose of the new hosting company, you'll need to add all these manually. In addition, if your new host changes anything, you'll have to manually do everything yourself again.

Faris.

 

[starman7]

forwards (different namservers for different clients)

oh, yes - then i did misunderstand - but

that's just it, i want to retain control of the nameservers, so i can add things like webmail, etc. that point to other machines (not plesk) w/o having to contact someone to change these for me - i want to do it myself!

when my provider who uses plesk sets up my account/domain/webspace w/in his plesk - does it care what nameservers i'm using? does it try to use the ones he uses for his other customers by default? is it problematic for him to have my domain not use these? does he need to disable dns for my acct. - can he do this just for me, and not affect his other customers? what must he do in order for me to use my current (zoneedit) nameservers - which now point to his server?

here's another post from me which might clarify:
http://forum.plesk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22956
please note the end in above thread which describes what happens now.

sorry i just don't want to give up the controlling of the nameservers - i know i can switch them back at the registrar - but we do want to use their hosting.

 

[Freebyrd]

Well I'm not really sure what your hosting company has going on. but my setup don't require this. You can tell your domain registar to point www.yourpage.com to my ip and any one that types www.yourpage.com will goto my box. with most registars you can also setup the catch all so if someone type ww2.yoursite.com it will aslo goto my box. Besides should it be your webhost company doing this? Sounds like they don't really support there site too much.

 

[starman7]

freebyrd - i appreciate your response. it is not my decision to use this company. so i do not control this. i am the system admin - and simply want to continue using the dns servers that currently host the zone file for the domain they will host.

are you saying there is NO reason i should not be able to do this?

might my site just not be configured (the page i get)? is there a place in plesk for the admin to either set, or leave blank/disable nameservers for a particular domain? or is this a global change that affects all of their customers?

 

[Freebyrd]

there's no reason. if I was you I would just tell them you set it up and then just forward your www to there ip address for your website. Ask them what ip address is your site... then again they may be sharing the ip address. but that should matter either, iis and apache both can do this and you just tell it what folder to look in when a call comes from that address. Pleask has a build in dns server. Maybe just maybe the guy hosing don't know much about hosting websites...