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Managing DNS - What are must have records?
Hi guys,
So recently I had this idea of trying to use an external DNS service. Usually if you had used cPanel or VestaCP each time you set up a domain, they immediately create a fixed set up A, CNAME, NS records for you like for example:
| www | A | 192.168.0.1 |
|---|---|---|
| ftp | A | 192.168.0.1 |
| A | 192.168.0.1 | |
| A | 192.168.0.1 |
So my question is, these "www", "mail"... how do I find out what are the minimum ones required to get a website up and running. I mean I guess I don't need all of them, is there like a reference of what a bare minimum or even a complete DNS template should look like?
Comments
Just for a website a simple A record is enough. Everything above this is an extra.
@ A x.x.x.x
i usually set A record and Cname www alias of domain
The @ one is the only one that is required. If you use www. as well then need that,too.
I would also create an SPF record just in case someone would try to send mail using your domain as sender.
That and MX records if you actually want to be able to receive email on that domain
You don't need an MX record to receive email. If MX is absent, an A record can be used.
Well learn something new everyday, that said although it seems you are technically correct I'd not trust that all MTA's would actually follow that, so if the OP intends to receive email on the domain it would be recommended to have the MX entries present.
And you are right - Some very large ones (starts with M and ends with t) do not.
Nobody said SOA? Without that the zone won't even load
An A record is all you really need for the website to show up. But i would suggest the www. just to be safe too, but the simple @ A 192.168.0.1 should be all you need
I'd agree @dragon2611. IIRC the RFC says A records can be assumed ("Should", I think) as a mail server when no MX records are present. A lot of badly written software will ignore that fact.
mail is a little more complicated, this site should help you more on the mail settings http://www.mail-tester.com/
@NocRoom
Thanks, made me realise I don't have DKIM or DMarc set...
Time to fix :P
And the NS records...
cpanel also creates a localhost.domain.com A and AAAA for some reason
If you are going to send mail out, then contact your host provider and see if they can create a reverse DNS entry for you (PTR record). Some of the mail protection protocols use that to confirm that mail from your server/domain is coming from the correct server. You cannot do this with a NS provider.
No problem, we do many exchange servers here that site helps