Setting up your own Vanity DNS

Many DNS Made Easy customers want to set up their domains to use DNS Made Easy name servers but also want to use their own domain name. This type of configuration is known as vanity DNS. ISPs like to do this since it appears that they own their name servers but at the same time they can take advantage of DNS Made Easy's great prices to save money on administration costs.

Setting up a Vanity DNS solution is 100% free in DNS Made Easy as long as you use our Managed DNS product.

DNS Made Easy provides this tutorial that will step you through step-by-step what you will need to do. These steps require actions that you need to make on our DNS Made Easy account and also at your registrar.

If you require special consulting services or our Custom DNS option please contact our sales team for more questions. Custom DNS is where we take care of your systems for you for a monthly management fee.

Setting up Vanity DNS in DNS Made Easy is done in seven (7) very easy and basic steps (two are optional since your domain will work without it, but they are required if you do not want to see any error messages on the DNS reporting tools).

Here are the steps that you need to take for setting up name servers for the example above (ns1-5.example100.com).

1. Get the IPs of your name servers assigned to you.
• This of course takes for granted that you have already added a domain to DNS Made Easy.
• In DNS Made Easy all you have to do is click on the "Name Servers" in the row of your domain name listing.
  
• The IPs will be listed next to the name servers assigned to your domain.
  
  
  
2. Pick the name of your vanity name servers.
• In this example we will call our vanity name servers ns1.example100.com, ns2.example100.com, ns3.example100.com, ns4.example100.com, and ns5.example100.com. You must of course own the domain name that you use. So we would need to own "example100.com" with our registrar.
  
  
3. Register your vanity name servers with your registrar. (This is done at your registrar!)
   This step is VERY important!
• Register your name servers (also known as "registering your host") with your registrar. Each official name server needs to be registered with the respective top level name servers. Each registrar should do this for free. If your registrar does not allow you to do this or does not offer this solution we recommend you find another registrar and transfer your domain. We would recommend Domains Made Easy but you can use any registrar you like or feel comfortable with. Contact your registrar if you have any questions with this step. Since this step is not done at DNS Made Easy we can not provide detailed instructions about this step. But it should be easy and it should be free (covered with your domain registration fees).
  
  You will assign your name servers the exact same IPs of the DNS Made Easy name servers that were assigned to you by DNS Made Easy. These are the IPs that you received in step #1.
  
  Why is this so important?
  Without this step no one would be able to find your name servers (since the IPs of your name servers would only be found in your name servers). Think about it as how would they be able to find your name servers if the A records for your name servers only existed in your name servers?
  You have domain example100.com. You want the domain to be told to use ns1.example100.com and ns2.example100.com. But the A records for those systems is in the name servers themselves. So how does someone find the name server if the answer is in the name server?
  
  This is what registering your name server does (some call it register a host). It actually will create A records in the respective root name servers so when people will ask what name servers your domain uses it will also return where those name servers are found. Then it will return this IP with your name severs. These are called the glue records.
  
  In fact without this step being completed, most registrars will not even allow you to use your new vanity name servers (ie. ns1.example100.com, ns2.example100.com.).
  
  
  
4. Tell your registrar to use your vanity name servers. (This is done at your registrar!)
• Change your name servers at your registrar to use your own vanity name servers (ex. ns1.example100.com, ns2.example100.com, etc..).
• This can only be done if step #3 is completed.
• This will be what other user's will see in the whois listings.
  
  
  
5. Create A records for your Vanity Name Servers on your authoritative name server.
• This step is done at DNS Made Easy and it is only needed to be done once.
• You will want to create A records for your vanity name servers.
• These will match the name servers that you registered in step #3.
  
  
• NOTE: It is highly suggested (and will comply with DNS policy and RFCs) that you create A records for name servers and not CNAME records. CNAME records are easier to setup since you do not need to know the IP address but it will not work for reasons that are too technical for this tutorial.
  
  IMPORTANT NOTE: Sometimes some of our name servers change their IPs. Please keep checking your name server's IPs and see if any change from time to time. We also have a mailing list that will notify you of any changes. All you need to do is send a blank email to ns-notify-subscribe@list.dnsmadeeasy.com.
  
  
  
6. (optional) Configure your Vanity Name Server configuration in DNS Made Easy.
   This step is only needed if you do not want the error messages from www.dnsreport.com.
• DNS Made Easy provides a very easy way for you to configure the NS records for your domains so your vanity name serves will appear and the DNS Made Easy name servers do not. This will prevent you from having error messages on the popular DNS reporting tools such as www.dnsreport.com.
  • You must first turn on Vanity NS. This is done in your "Advanced DNS Settings" section.
    • Click on "Advanced DNS Settings" from the Main Menu.
    • Make sure that "On" is selected for the "Vanity Name Servers" option.
    • Click on "Set Values"
  • Configure your Vanity Name Server configuration.
    • Click on "Advanced DNS Settings" from the Main Menu.
    • Click on "Vanity NS Configuration"
    • Follow the rest of the instructions on the screens.
• Since you did this step you should do step #7.
  
  
  
7. (optional) Apply your Vanity Name Server configuration to your domain(s).
   This step is only needed if you do not want the error messages from www.dnsreport.com.
   You will want to do this for all of your domains that will use your Vanity Name Server configuration.
   • Once you have your Vanity NS configured in DNS Made Easy you will need to apply this to your domain. This can be done in one of three different ways:
   1. At domain creation time.
   2. After the domain is created one by one.
   3. After the domain is created (many or all at once).
      
   • You can select your Vanity Name Server configuration at the time you are adding your domain into DNS Made Easy. This can only be done with the classic (non-wizard) of adding a domain.
     
     
     
     
     
     
   • If your domain is already in DNS Made Easy then you can apply your Vanity Name Server configuration by clicking on the domain name and choosing to use the Vanity NS configuration.
     • First click on the domain name.
       
       
     • Then choose the Vanity NS configuration
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
   • You may apply your Vanity NS configuration to multiple domains at one time. You can select the checkbox next to multiple domains and then click on "Domain Settings".
     • Select the checkbox next to the domain.
       
       
     • Click on "Domain Setttings"
       
       
     • Choose to change the Vanity NS for the domain.
       
       

   
   

For all future domains that you want to use your Vanity DNS for all you need to do is complete steps #4 and step #7.

That is all it takes to create your own Vanity DNS!