Worry Free Services: Setting Up DNS Services on a Linux VPS

Domain Name System (DNS) is the backbone of the internet, translating human-readable domain names into IP addresses, allowing users to access websites and online services. When you set up a Linux Virtual Private Server (VPS), configuring DNS services is essential to ensure your website is accessible to visitors worldwide. The first step we take is to select a DNS server software for your VPS. Popular choices include BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain), which is the most widely used DNS software, and alternatives like NSD (Name Server Daemon) and PowerDNS. However, BIND will be what is used in our setup for you.

Before proceeding with DNS setup, we ensure your Linux VPS is up to date. This is done by logging in to your VPS as a root or superuser and running a set of commands. Next,  we install the chosen DNS server software on your Linux VPS. In this case, it will be BIND. Once installed, we’ll navigate to the DNS server configuration directory and edit the configuration file (e.g., named.conf) to define your DNS zones, specify the DNS server options, and set up access control.

DNS zones represent the domains for which your VPS will provide DNS resolution. In the configuration file, we’ll define both forward and reverse DNS zones. Forward zones map domain names to IP addresses, while reverse zones perform the opposite mapping (IP addresses to domain names). Then we’ll test and Restart the DNS Server, and after creating the zone files, check the DNS configuration for errors. If no errors we’ll then restart and apply the changes.

Finally, to direct DNS traffic to your Linux VPS, we’ll update the DNS records with your domain registrar, this access will be coordinated with you. We’ll log into your domain registrar’s control panel and look for the DNS settings or name server settings section. Then entering your VPS IP addresses (e.g., xx.xx.xx.xx and xx.xx.xx.xx) as the custom name servers or modify the existing ones if provided by your hosting provider.

It may take some time for the changes to propagate across the internet. You can use online DNS checking tools to verify if the DNS records are correctly pointing to your VPS.

And that’s it! This might sound like a lot, but to professionals working on your behalf, this won’t be a problem at all. DNS is what allows traffic to come and find your website on the internet, like an address book if you will. This service is bundled with the Advanced and Premiere service tiers. However, if you need assistance with your DNS, feel free to reach out to us on our contact form, or our support email address (Support@precisionartdesigns.net)