How do i set up linode dns when i bought a domain from domain.com?

I'm a complete noob to dns, still wrapping my head around everything and I don't know where to begin, do I need to edit the A/AAAA and NameServer stuff on domain.com where I bought my domain name to have some linode dns, or must I do something different? I feel I don't quite know even what I'm asking. Help!

3 Replies

You will always need an A record for your website/domain to be accessible. If you want to use IPv6 as well (if you can, you should) you’ll need to create AAAA records.

Convention is you have a “naked” record - e.g. yourdomain.com - and www.yourdomain.com pointing to the IPs of your Linode. “A” records for IPv4 and “AAAA” records for IPv6.

The DNS can be hosted anywhere; you don’t have to use Linode. If your registrar offers the ability to manage your DNS records, you could keep it all there - just add the above records with your Linode’s IP addresses in your domain provider’s control panel.

Alternatively you can use Linode’s DNS features by setting the “nameservers” of your domain to:

  • ns1.linode.com
  • ns2.linode.com
  • ns3.linode.com
  • ns4.linode.com
  • ns5.linode.com

You can only change these nameservers from where you registered your domain, and how you do it varies from provider to provider. Typically it is labelled as “change/update nameservers.”

You can then add a domain in your Linode manager for “yourdomain.com” and add the relevant A, AAAA and MX records there.

From that point on (it may take 24-48 hours to take effect) your DNS records will be served by Linode and managed within your Linode manager.

Thanks, im going to try to replace what i can and see if it works at all by tomorrow. I can add nameservers fine, but I notice domain.com gives me an IP for the A/AAAA records that doesn't match anything of mine, and wont allow me to change it or add a new one with the correct IP without logging me out and not making the changes. Must I simply change these A records with the wrong IP? and if so, how?

domain.com gives me an IP for the A/AAAA records that doesn't match anything of mine

It’s possible this is for a “holding page” automatically set up for new domains. If your domain provider also offers web hosting, it may even be IPs for their hosting service so it’s already set up in case you buy a hosting package.

Must I simply change these A records with the wrong IP? and if so, how?

Yes, if you want to use the domain to point to a Linode.

Without knowing your domain or its registrar, it’s impossible to guide you how to change it. You’ll be looking for an option like “manage DNS records.”

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