Web Hosting Reviews & Ratings

April 08, 2011

Your Questions Answered: What Is Needed to Make a Custom Name Server?

After purchasing a web hosting service every webmaster is given access to two name servers, which are basically web servers with DNS software installed on them. These web servers are responsible for communicating with the domain name system, which is the largest digital database in the world (containing the registration details of every active domain). In order to confirm your ownership of your domains and associate them with your new web hosting account, you'll need to log into your domain registrar account and "point" your domains to the name servers of your web hosting provider. Usually you'll be able to find a specific module within the control interface that facilitates this process. The address of your two name servers will appear as NS1.WEBHOST.COM and NS2.WEBHOST.COM. Unfortunately, the addresses of these name servers are publicly available within the WHOis database, which can be searched for free by anyone with the time and willingness to do so. Fortunately, by utilizing the following tips you can make a custom name server, rather than using the name servers provided by your web host.

Reasons to Create a Custom Name Server

There are a variety of reasons to create custom name servers, with the two main reasons being enhanced reliability and greater professionalism. When someone does a WHOis inquiry on your website, they can easily see what web host you are using based on your name servers. This may give some people the impression that your website is newly established and is not being operated by a reputable company with their own web servers. By using your own custom name servers you can give the impression that you have access to private servers that are devoted solely to the tasks of your business. Having a custom name server will also give you the ability to remove conventional restrictions and limitations that are often applied by web hosting providers.

Types of Hosting Needed to Install DNS Software

In order to install any type of software on your web servers you'll need a specific type of hosting plan, as cheap shared hosting plans will not allow you to change the software configuration of the server. Thus, you would need access to a dedicated server or a VPS (virtual private server) in order to install DNS software. These types of hosting plans will give you access to the server root, which will allow you to modify and install various types of DNS software. Although the majority of dedicated and VPS hosting plans do allow this, there are some that do not, so it is important to inquire before choosing a plan.

Web Hosting Requirements for a Custom Name Server

Aside from having a dedicated or VPS hosting plan, you'll also need to have at least two IP addresses available within the hosting plan. Some plans include this additional IP address automatically, while others charge a set monthly fee for additional IP addresses. In addition, you'll need to dedicate a specific domain name to be used as the name server web address. You can purchase an extra domain specifically for this purpose, or you can utilize your current domain.

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