Name Servers

A Name Server translates domain names into IP addresses. This makes it possible for a user to access a website by typing in the domain name instead of the website's actual IP address. For example, when you type in "www.microsoft.com," the request gets sent to a name server which will return the IP address of the Microsoft website.

Each domain name must have at least two name servers listed when the domain is registered. These name servers are commonly named ns1.example.org and ns2.example.org. The first server listed is the primary server, while the second is used as a backup server if the first server is not responding.

SiteHost has three name servers available to its customers. You should use the SiteHost name servers if you want to administer and control the DNS for a domain using the SiteHost Control Panel. More information about the official SiteHost name servers can be found below.

SiteHost Servers

Custom Name Servers and Glue Records

Maybe you're curious about how exactly you'd set up your own name servers for your domain. Or, if you've decided to use your own name servers, you came across this error while trying to set your name servers: Domain failed to update because of invalid name server.

This is likely because you're missing a Glue Record. But, what is a Glue Record?

Glue Records are used to specify IP addresses for any name servers using your domain. If you are using a .NZ domain for your name servers, you are required to set them up at least once.

To add a Glue Record to a domain, you will need to:

1. Navigate to the domain in the SiteHost Control Panel and click on the Name Servers tab.
2. Add in the glue records (or, name servers that use the domain) and click the "Update Name Servers" button.
   • For example, if you were adding a glue record to "example.co.nz", you would want to add in "ns1.example.co.nz".
3. You will be prompted for the IP addresses of each glue record. This will be the A or AAAA record for the name server.
4. Click "Update Name Servers" button, once you have provided the IP addresses, to save the changes.

If you wish to update the glue records, you can change the IP address on this page. If you wish to remove the glue records, they can be removed from your domain like any other name server.

For NZ domains, once you set the glue records, they will be usable on other NZ domains. This is true even if they aren't present in the "Name Server" tab for the domain.