Using Plesk DNS

[kerrya]

I have been using an outside registar to host the DNS records for my domains and have my Plesk DNS turned off.

The time has come where I'd like to host it all myself, but when I try to change the nameservers record at my providers DNS interface to point to my server, it tells me my server is not a registered name server.

Is there a nameserver registration process to go thru?

Any help appreciated

Thanks
Kerry

 

[faris]

Hi Kerry,

Yes, you need to register the nameservers via the registrar you used to register the domain name that you intend to use for your namservers. During the nameserver creation process you will be asked to provide IP addresses, which should be those of your plesk box.

The process is usually called "create host records" or create nameserver host records.

It does not matter what you call the namservers, but generally ns1.whatever.com and ns2.whatever.com are used.

Note that in plesk's DNS settings for the nameserver domain you should also add A records for ns1. and ns2. for your domain pointing to the correct IPs (I think. My mind is going a bit blank for some reason. It is part of the "glue" anyway), as well as having ns records for all domains pointing to ns1 and ns2.

Faris.

 

[kerrya]

Thanks Faris. I did find the settings at my domain registration company and I was able to create a new ns1.mydomain.com record after first re-activating the DNS server on my Plesk box.
I'm a small company and only have one box and one IP. So a second nameserver is not possible for me right now. I presume you can't have an ns2.mydomain.com pointing to the same box and IP - or can you?

Although it sounds fragile, can you have only one nameserver listed for a domain?

Thanks again
Kerry

 

[faris]

You have to have two nameservers for a domain, and technically they have to be on two IPs but you can have them pointing to the same IP. Some registrars won't let you do that, but most will. Similarly some registrars won't let you use two nameservers for a domain that point to the same IP.

It isn't really all that fragile. A lot of single-server users have two IPs on their boxes so even though they have two different namservers pointing to two different IPs, it still goes to the same place.

Anyway if you plesk box goes down all your domains go down anyway so it would not matter even if you had a separate machine running secondary DNS.

Another option .. there are a number of companies offering secondary DNS services for very little money - you could always use one of those for secondary DNS if you wanted.

Faris.

 

[kerrya]

Makes perfect sense... thanks.

I did set up a record at my registar for ns.mydomain.com and set it to my plesk server. Their interface made it seem very easy.

I made sure Bind was running in my Plesk cp. I used the Plesk domain records default and saw that it had created an NS record. Everything seems perfect except it doesn't work

After changes from my registar filter down thru the internet, any attemp to contact that domain fails. Other domains on that same server are fine (Their dns still being managed by my registar.) An NSLookup for that domain fails also.

I'm overlooking something for sure. Any help appreciated.

Thanks
Kerry

 

[faris]

Can you post the full DNS records you now have for your domain in Plesk's DNS, and also the IP(s) you have for your nameserver records via you registrar? Or PM me with them if you don't want to put domains and IPs on the forum. I'm sure it is something simple.

Oh, here's a possibility: could you have port 53 blocked on your Plesk box by your firewall?

Faris.

 

[kerrya]

Well, port 53 was blocked in the firewall. I've opened it up and am retrying.
It may take a half day before I know if that's the issue, but it seems likely at this point.

Thanks again so much for your advice!
Kerry

 

[faris]

Yeah, basically if port 53 is closed then bind won't be able to answer any dns queries and therefore you'd get an error. So hopefully this will solve it.

Faris.

 

[kerrya]

Not working. My control panel indicates port 53 is open for inbound connections, however nothing works.

I used an online port scanner to test port 53 and it reports it is not responding but port 80 is. My Plesk cp seems to indicate BIND is running, but perhaps I'm not looking in the right place.

In Server/component management it shows BIND selected and running (Windows DNS disabled)

In the Domain/DNS it shows the DNS is acting as the Primary nameserver and the "Switch off the DNS Service" is showing which indicates to me the DNS is currently running.

Am I missing the point?

Thanks
Kerry

 

[geome]

Hi, I have the same problem. I have manually installed windows dns but plesk cp still says only bind is installed.
I have created A records for ns1 and ns2.domain.com. and of course there is an A record for the domain.
In dnsstuff I get "missing stealth nameservers".
I quess BIND is not configured properly. How can BIND be reconfigured?

Thanks

 

[kerrya]

Well it's working. I think I just tried too soon after opeing the DNS port. I had to flush my computers dns cache with the ipconfig command. but all seems OK for now.

Thanks faris, your help is greatly appreciated.

Kerry

 

[kerrya]

Well, others will know better than I, but if you install Windows DNS don't you shut off BIND? My Plesk CP seems to lets you choose one or the other. If Plesk does not see the Windows DNS, perhaps the serice has not been started.

I think you also have to have ns records. My Plesk system created a default ns record for the domain, however if your using ns1 and ns2 you will have to create them yourself.

Hope it helps
Kerry