Question Troubleshooting Domain Connect with Ionos

[Richard18]

Server operating system version

Ubuntu 22.04

Plesk version and microupdate number

18.0.47 Update #5

Has anyone got any experience getting Domain Connect to work with Ionos?

I have a domain with them, the correct CNAME record is set up in the DNS settings (in the Ionos control panel) - _domainconnect CNAME _domainconnect.1and1.com

The Domain Connect extension is installed on my server, when I add the domain to Plesk it is successfully added but I never see an option to "Link via Domain Connect"

I've followed this guide: Connecting Your Domain to Plesk Obsidian - IONOS Help

What am I missing?

 

[Coopsy]

just add a new A record, put in your plesk IP address. Once pointed then add the domain into plesk itself

 

[Richard18]

Thanks and sorry, I should have said, there's already an A record for the domain pointing to my Plesk IP. The domain is fully set up on the Ionos side with all the A, CNAME, MX and TXT records I need. It's just Domain Connect that refuses to appear in Plesk, there's no mention of it anywhere in the Domain DNS section, it just lists the default zone template records, no option to link.

 

[FrankieS]

Hi! Same problem here. Is there anything known about a solution to this problem?

 

[Richard18]

This isn't very helpful but I gave up trying and decided to host my own primary DNS locally, with my domain registrar (Gandi) throwing in free secondary DNS.

 

[FrankieS]

Thankyou, @Richard18. Having chatted with their support today, they recommended to manually copy the desired DNS entries from the DNS settings page in Plesk (for the domain in question) to the appropriate DNS settings page of the IONOS customer backend. This works for me, though as well as being far from perfect.

 

[RenaudCo]

Hi, found out how to use the Domain Connect
Go to your domain in Plesk, go to the DNS, Click Enable, then you will have a green message at the top that says :
"Do you want to connect yourdomain.com to Plesk automatically? Connect using Domain Connect."
Hope it helps

 

[DoubleGJ]

sane problem here
RenaudCo there isn't "Enable" in DNS section, can you be more clear?

 

[DoubleGJ]

same*

 

[Sebahat.hadzhi]

@DoubleGJ does the domain name in question currently resolve at the end of a provider supported by the Domain Connect extension? Domain Connect automatically detects domains from supported DNS providers and should automatically display the message.

 

[DoubleGJ]

I uninstalled the domain connect extension, restarted the server, installed domain connect again and deleted the A records pointing to the VPS from the IONOS DNS zone and finally the domain connect notification appeared.
Does this extension only manually sync the A records @ and www?
I was hoping it could automatically sync the other records too

 

[Sebahat.hadzhi]

Does this extension only manually sync the A records @ and www?
I was hoping it could automatically sync the other records too

The records depend on the service where they are configured. Usually, the services provide their templates; the extension contains these templates and use them to configure records. What records exactly are you looking forward to sync?

 

[DoubleGJ]

_acme-challenge.mydomain.com

the Let's Encrypt's record for SSL validation and renew

 

[Sebahat.hadzhi]

It is technically possible. However, I am not quite sure what template exactly is used for IONOS. If it likely that the template excludes these particular TXT records if they don't sync.

 

[SimpleSimon]

_acme-challenge.mydomain.com

the Let's Encrypt's record for SSL validation and renew

Ya - it's been a while, but nobody seems to have anything on how to make this simple thing work.

I've been using a Windows program called "Certify The Web" but it's for Windows servers.
I wrote a custom task for it to make Let's Encrypt work with GoDaddy's DNS API & SSL upload -
but then GoDaddy decided us little guys shouldn't have access to that any longer.

I have spent the last few months moving all my stuff to IONOS -
which cares more than the "new" GoDaddy (I was a customer for 20+ years).
But I digress.

I am running an IONOS VPS using Plesk, and Let's Enrypt for a couple of domains.
REST APIs are available for both the IONOS DNS and the Plesk DNS.

I was considering reworking (ie. using the design) my CTW task to get the _acme_challenge TXT record(s) from Plesk to IONOS -
but SSL It! is encrypted code and doesn't appear to have any means of triggering a task when it's doing a cert renew,
or any other means of recovering from a renew failure -- VERY frustrating.
At this point, I don't know if SSL It will actually touch the ACME TXT or just detects that it won't like it.

Maybe someone here has information on how to move forward beyond polling the Plesk DNS once a minute to grab the record and copy it over?
If SSL It has SOME kind of webhook, or exit stub when renewing, this solution becomes near-trivial to implement.

 

[SimpleSimon]

...

Maybe someone here has information on how to move forward beyond polling the Plesk DNS once a minute to grab the record and copy it over?
If SSL It has SOME kind of webhook, or exit stub when renewing, this solution becomes near-trivial to implement.

OK - first go.
I have successfully, via swagger playground API tool, found and copied the _acme-challenge record(s) in Plesk, and written them into IONOS live DNS, clicked the continue button, and got my Let's Encrypt cert reissued and installed.

Of course, live testing like this must be kept to a minimum, or the Let's Enrypt folks will rightfully get unhappy.
But - "Proof of concept" is successful !!!

Now - gluing it to SSLIt itself for automation of the process becomes the obstacle.
Worst case:
1. When the renewal fails, an email ("Could not issue/renew Let`s Encrypt certificates for Administrator") is sent.
2. Login and start a reissue -- maybe a direct link can be found -- I'm OLD school -- I want an HTML "A" to work with <grin>
3. It pauses for "go check yer DNS and hit continue".
4. This is where we trigger "whatever we create to copy the _acme-challenge"
5. Hit continue and wait for happiness message.
6. Go back to bed.