Root domain NS record

CarloG

New Member
This is a set up that is MOSTLY working, but I need to make an important change, and when I tried, it didn't work.

We have a few A records in our domain, but a lot of NS records. We do this because we want the request to be forwarded to our internal link balancer, which can reply with an IP address of a less burdened link at the time.

A records for domain.com
www --> 12.34.56.78
@ --> 12.34.56.78
vdns1 --> 12.34.56.98
vdns2 --> 98.78.54.32

NS records for domain.com
server1 --> vdns1.domain.com
server1 --> vdns2.domain.com
server2 --> vdns1.domain.com
server2 --> vdns2.domain.com

This way a request for server1.domain.com will query the 2 IP addresses for vdns1 and vdns2, which both go to our link balancer on different ISPs, and the link balancer will fulfill the DNS response.

As I mentioned before, this part is working. What I need to do is move the "@" A record to an NS record. Currently one of our ISPs is down, and I want our link balancer to respond with a different IP. When I delete the @ A record and have it go through NS, it doesn't work.

Any thoughts?
 

El.

Administrator
Staff member
Hello. You seem to be indicating you want the @ records for the root domain name to be resolved via a third party name server or host. We would need to know the domain name of concern and take a look to be sure. If you don't wish to reveal the domain name, please purchase a credit through your ZoneEdit account and you can then send us an email with the specifics.
 

CarloG

New Member
What I'm trying to understand is, is there a difference between having server1.domain.com resolved by our link balancer, and having domain.com resolved by our link balancer? The former is currently being resolved by our link balancer, but the latter does not.
 

El.

Administrator
Staff member
There is a difference if you relaying DNS requests for a subdomain name to a third party name server and having our name servers resolving records for the domain name. But to be sure of what you're asking, we need specifics (domain name).
 

El.

Administrator
Staff member
Hello Carlo. ZoneEdit name servers should really be set to resolve the root record, and anything else done after the fact via the servers that are being pointed to. That being said, I do see two different IP addresses being returned for turlock.ca.us via the vdns servers you have delegated the root to. You should remove the A record @ set up within the zone edit zone file.
 

CarloG

New Member
That's the thing. When I remove the A record @, then mxtoolbox, as well as nslookups against Google DNS and one-dot-one report no IP address for turlock.ca.us.
 

El.

Administrator
Staff member
Hi Carlo. This is why you should either only use ZoneEdit for DNS for @, or use your own name servers to resolve everything. As a test, remove the A record for @ and reply to this message. I'll then see what happens with resolution.
 

Chris Cherry

Zoneedit Support
Just to step in here.


NS Records should only be used to point sub-domains, not the root (@) record.


If you want to manage the root and other sub-domains records through an external nameserver other than ours, you should consider setting up Secondary DNS service.

 
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