Chapter 5 · 5.1
What is DNS and when do you change it?
DNS is the phone book of the internet. Computers don't find each other by name but by number: an IP address such as 185.158.164.143. DNS translates your domain name into those numbers. If someone types yourdomain.com, the browser asks the DNS where that website is located. If someone sends you an email, the mail server asks the DNS where the mail should go.
The DNS of a domain consists of a list of rules: the records. Each record has a name, a type and a value.
The most important records
| Type | What's it for? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | Which IPv4 address a name points to (your website). | yourdomain.com points to 185.158.164.143 |
| AAAA | The same, but for an IPv6 address. | yourdomain.com points to 2a07:ae80:... |
| CNAME | A name that points to another name. | shop.yourdomain.com points to shops.exampleplatform.com |
| MX | Which server your email arrives on. | mail for yourdomain.com goes to linux2023.webawere.nl |
| TXT | Text, for verification and email security (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). | v=spf1 a mx include:webawere.nl ~all |
| NS | Which nameservers manage the DNS of the domain. | ns1.webawere.nl and ns2.webawere.nl |
| CAA | Which parties are allowed to issue SSL certificates for your domain. | letsencrypt.org |
| SRV | Where a particular service runs, for example for Teams or telephony. | _sip._tls |
Do I need to change the DNS myself?
Usually not. If your domain is with WebOké and included in a hosting package, we set up all the records correctly for you: your website, your email, SPF, DKIM and DMARC. You only need to adjust the DNS if:
- another party asks you to, such as Google, Microsoft, a newsletter service or an online shop platform. They'll tell you exactly which record to create;
- your email runs elsewhere, for example with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace (see Email with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, website with WebOké);
- your website runs elsewhere, but your email is with us;
- you want to point a subdomain to another service.
Please note: A small mistake in the DNS can take down your website or your email. Only change what you really need to, and write down what was there before you make any changes. In My WebOké, you can also make a back-up of your DNS first (see DNS in My WebOké and with external name servers such as Cloudflare).
Where do you manage the DNS?
That depends on the nameservers of your domain:
- ns1.webawere.nl and ns2.webawere.nl (WebOké's nameservers): you manage the DNS in DirectAdmin under DNS Administration, or in My WebOké under My Domains, tab DNS. Both show the same records.
- Other nameservers, for example from Cloudflare or the party where your domain is registered: changes in DirectAdmin then have no effect. You adjust the DNS with that party instead (see DNS in My WebOké and with external name servers such as Cloudflare).