i have a dns service plan. how can i manage my dns records?

Answer by: George Kaloyanov, Aplus.Net Knowledge Base Support.

If you have a DNS Service plan, you can manage your DNS records (A, MX, CNAME) using your Web Control Panel. Each Dedicated Server comes with a complimentary DNS Service plan.

GLOSSARY:

A Record: An “A” Record, short for Address Record, maps from a domain name or subdomain to an IP address. An “A” record is also referred to as a host or hostname. For example, you can use an "A record" to designate yourdomain.com to send traffic to your web site at IP address 209.15.32.135. You can designate abc.yourdomain.com to go to a separate IP address.

MX Record: A “MX” Record, short for Mail Exchange Record, is used to define the email server(s) willing to accept mails for a given domain name.

CNAME Record: A CNAME record or Canonical Name Record makes one domain name or subdomain an alias of another.

Here’s how to access the DNS Records Management Tool:

1.  Start by logging into the Aplus.Net Control Panel at http://cp.aplus.net using your Registration Number and Customer Password.
2. If you have a separate DNS Service plan, select Domains from the top navigation bar and click on the Domain Services submenu. Now, click the domain name you’d like to manage. Go to Step4.
3. If you have a dedicated server, click on Dedicated Servers from the top navigation bar. Now, click the Dedicated Server you’d like to manage. Go to Step4.

4. Click on the Manage Custom DNS Records icon.

I. CREATE NEW DNS RECORDS

A Record:

1. Type the name of the “A Record” in the Record text field.
2. Select A as the type of the DNS Record you’d like to create.
3. Enter the IP Address that you’d like to use for the new record.
4. Click Add to create the new A Record.

Note: All changes might take up to 24 hours to take effect.

Example1: If you want to create an A Record for myhost.mydomain.com and point it to 212.55.10.10, you have to use the following data

• Record Text Field: myhost
• Type Drop-Down Menu: A
• IP Address / Hostname Text Field: 212.55.10.10

MX Record:

1. Select “MX” as the type of the DNS Record you’d like to create.
2. Type the name of the mail server that you’d like to handle the emails for your domain name. You can use a hostname that originates from your own domain or an external mail server. If you want to use an external mail server, type it with a period “.” at the end.
3. Enter a number between 0 and 1000 as a priority level of your MX record.

Note: You can have more than one MX record for your domain. Lower number means higher priority.

4. Click Add to create the new MX Record.

Note: All changes might take up to 24 hours to take effect.

Example2: If you want to use a hostname mail.mydomain.com that originates from your own domain mydomain.com, type mail in the IP Address / Hostname Text Field. Create an “A Record” for the mail.mydomain.com hostname in order to point it to the respective IP Address of your email server.

Example3: If you want to use an external email server (mail.yahoo.com.) with Priority of 10, type mail.yahoo.com. in the IP Address / Hostname Text Field. Important: When using an external mail server, the hostname should end with a period "."

CNAME Record:

1. Type the name of the “CNAME Record” in the Record Text Field. This is the name of the Alias.
2. Select “CNAME” as the type of the DNS Record you’d like to create.
3. Type the hostname that you’d like to point your alias to in the IP Address / Hostname Text Field. You can use a hostname that originates from your own domain or an external hostname. If you want to use an external hostname, type it with period “.” at the end.
4. Click Add to create the new CNAME Record.

Note: All changes might take up to 24 hours to take effect.

Example4: If you want to create a CNAME Record for myhost.mydomain.com and point to an internal hostname myhost2.mydomain.com, you should use the following data:

• Record Text Field: myhost
• Type Drop-Down menu: CNAME
• IP Address / Hostname Text Field: myhost2

Example5: If you want to create myhost.mydomain.com as an Alias to an external hostname host.anywebsite.com, you should use the following data:

• Record Text Field: myhost
• Type Drop-Down menu: CNAME
• IP Address / Hostname Text Field: host.anywebsite.com. Important: When using external host for the CNAME Record, the hostname should end with a period "." 

II. EDIT EXISTING DNS RECORDS:

1. Click the Edit button associated with the exact DNS record you’d like to modify.
2. Modify the current data and click the Submit Button.
3. Repeat steps 1. and 2. for all the DNS Records you’d like to modify.
4. Click the Submit All Changes button.
5. Review the Modification Summary Table and click the Submit button to confirm all changes.

III. REMOVE EXISTING DNS RECORDS:

1. Click the Remove button for DNS Records you’d like to remove.
2. Click the Submit All Changes button.
3. Review the Modification Summary Table and click the Submit button to confirm the changes.