DNS
Records, nameservers, propagation and how DNS decides where traffic goes.
21 articles
How DNS works
- What is DNS?
The Domain Name System explained simply: how a domain becomes an IP address, what DNS records do, and why DNS matters for websites and email.
- How DNS resolution works: recursive, authoritative and caching
A step-by-step look at a DNS lookup — resolvers, root and TLD servers, authoritative nameservers — and where caching fits in.
- What are nameservers?
Nameservers are the servers in charge of your domain’s DNS. What they do, how they differ from DNS records, and where they’re set.
- Nameservers vs DNS records: what’s the difference?
Nameservers decide who manages your DNS; records say where things point. How they relate and which one to change for common jobs.
- Why DNS changes take time (DNS propagation)
What DNS propagation really is, why some people see changes before others, how long it takes, and how to speed things up.
- What is TTL in DNS?
Time to live controls how long a DNS answer is cached. What values mean, sensible defaults, and how to use TTL to plan changes.
- What is DNSSEC?
How DNSSEC signs DNS records so answers can’t be forged, how the chain of trust works, and why a broken DNSSEC setup makes a domain disappear.
Record types
- DNS record types explained
A quick reference to the DNS record types you’ll meet — A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SRV, CAA and NS — what each does and when you need it.
- A records: what they are and how to add one
What an A record does, when to use one instead of a CNAME, and how to add or edit an A record in DirectAdmin.
- AAAA records and IPv6 explained
What an AAAA record is, how IPv6 differs from IPv4, and why a wrong AAAA record can break a site for some visitors only.
- CNAME records: what they are and how to add one
How a CNAME makes one name an alias of another, the rules that trip people up, and how to add a CNAME record in DirectAdmin.
- A record vs CNAME: which should I use?
The difference between an A record and a CNAME, the situations where each is required, and a simple rule for choosing.
- MX records: how email finds your mail server
What MX records are, how priority works, the correct MX for Traxio email, and how to change MX records for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
- TXT records: what they’re for and how to add one
TXT records hold text for other services to read: SPF, DKIM, DMARC and domain verification. How to add one without breaking email.
- SRV records explained
What an SRV record does, how to read its priority, weight, port and target fields, and which services still use them.
- CAA records: controlling who can issue your SSL certificates
How CAA records restrict which certificate authorities may issue certificates for your domain, and how a wrong one blocks free SSL.
Working with records
- How to add, edit and delete DNS records in DirectAdmin
Using DNS Management in DirectAdmin: the record form, naming conventions, trailing dots, TTLs, and how to avoid breaking your website or email.
- How to check DNS records (dig, nslookup and online tools)
Look up any DNS record from your computer or a browser, query Traxio’s nameservers directly, and read the results to confirm a change.
- How to clear your DNS cache (Windows, Mac, browsers, phones)
Clear cached DNS answers on your own devices so you see a recent DNS change sooner, with commands for Windows, macOS, Chrome and mobile.
- Using Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 email with Traxio hosting
Keep your website on Traxio while email runs on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365: the DNS records to change and the local mail setting that must be switched off.
- Verifying your domain with Google, Microsoft and other services
How DNS verification works, where to add the TXT or CNAME record a service gives you, and why verification sometimes fails.
- Using Cloudflare with Traxio hosting Filed under Performance
How to put Cloudflare in front of a Traxio site: DNS records to create, the right SSL mode, keeping email records unproxied, and avoiding redirect loops.