What is DNS?

DNS (Domain Name System) translates human-readable domain names (yourdomain.co.za) into IP addresses (e.g., 196.22.105.27) that computers use to locate websites and services. DNS records control how your domain functions.

Why manage DNS records?

  • Point domain to hosting server (A records)
  • Configure email routing (MX records)
  • Verify domain ownership (TXT records)
  • Set up email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
  • Create subdomains (CNAME, A records)
  • Connect third-party services (Google Workspace, Shopify, etc.)

Prerequisites: Nameservers

Before managing DNS in DirectAdmin, ensure your domain uses 0724 Hosting nameservers:

  • ns1.practiwebs.co.za
  • ns2.practiwebs.co.za

Log in to your domain registrar and update nameservers. DNS changes take 1–24 hours to propagate globally (usually 2–4 hours).

Accessing DNS management

  1. Log in to DirectAdmin
  2. Go to Account Manager or Advanced Features
  3. Click DNS Management or DNS Zone
  4. Select your domain from the dropdown
  5. You will see all existing DNS records for the domain

Common DNS record types

Record Type Purpose Example
A Points domain to IPv4 address yourdomain.co.za → 196.22.105.27
AAAA Points domain to IPv6 address yourdomain.co.za → 2001:db8::1
CNAME Alias pointing to another domain www → yourdomain.co.za
MX Mail server for receiving email mail.yourdomain.co.za
TXT Text data (SPF, DKIM, verification) SPF record, DMARC policy
NS Nameserver delegation ns1.practiwebs.co.za
SRV Service location (e.g., SIP, XMPP) _service._proto.domain

Default DNS records

When you add a domain to DirectAdmin, these records are created automatically:

yourdomain.co.za.     A        196.22.105.27
www                   CNAME    yourdomain.co.za.
yourdomain.co.za.     MX 10    mail.yourdomain.co.za.
mail                  A        196.22.105.27
ftp                   CNAME    yourdomain.co.za.
yourdomain.co.za.     NS       ns1.practiwebs.co.za.
yourdomain.co.za.     NS       ns2.practiwebs.co.za.

These records enable basic website and email functionality.

Adding DNS records

Adding an A record

  1. In DNS Management, click Add Record
  2. Select A from the dropdown
  3. Name: Enter subdomain or @ for root (e.g., blog for blog.yourdomain.co.za)
  4. Value: Enter the IP address
  5. TTL: Leave default (14400) or set to 3600 for faster updates
  6. Click Add

Adding a CNAME record

  1. Click Add Record
  2. Select CNAME
  3. Name: Subdomain (e.g., www)
  4. Value: Target domain (e.g., yourdomain.co.za or external domain)
  5. TTL: Leave default
  6. Click Add

Note: CNAME records cannot be used for the root domain (@). Use A records for the root.

Adding an MX record

  1. Click Add Record
  2. Select MX
  3. Priority: Lower numbers have higher priority (use 10 for primary mail server)
  4. Value: Mail server hostname (e.g., mail.yourdomain.co.za)
  5. Click Add

For 0724 Hosting email, the default MX record points to your hosting server.

Adding a TXT record

  1. Click Add Record
  2. Select TXT
  3. Name: @ for root or subdomain
  4. Value: Text data (e.g., SPF record, verification code)
  5. Click Add

Configuring email authentication records

SPF record (Sender Policy Framework)

SPF authorises mail servers to send email for your domain.

Add TXT record:

  • Name: @
  • Value: v=spf1 a mx ip4:196.22.105.27 ~all

Replace the IP address with your server IP (found in DirectAdmin → Account Info).

DKIM record (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

DKIM cryptographically signs outgoing emails.

  1. In DirectAdmin, go to Email Manager → DKIM Keys
  2. Enable DKIM for your domain
  3. DirectAdmin generates the DKIM TXT record automatically
  4. The record is added to DNS zone automatically

DMARC record

DMARC tells receiving servers how to handle unauthenticated email.

Add TXT record:

  • Name: _dmarc
  • Value: v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.co.za

See our SPF/DKIM/DMARC guide for detailed setup.

Editing DNS records

  1. In DNS Management, find the record you want to edit
  2. Click Edit or the pencil icon
  3. Update the record value, TTL, or other settings
  4. Click Save

DNS changes take 1–4 hours to propagate globally (faster for lower TTL values).

Deleting DNS records

  1. In DNS Management, find the record to delete
  2. Click Delete or the trash icon
  3. Confirm deletion

Warning: Deleting critical records (A, MX, NS) breaks website or email functionality. Only delete records you are certain are no longer needed.

Common DNS configurations

Pointing a subdomain to external service

To point shop.yourdomain.co.za to Shopify:

  1. Add CNAME record: shop → shops.myshopify.com
  2. Or add A record if the service provides an IP address

Google Workspace email (external email)

To use Google Workspace for email while hosting website at 0724:

  1. Delete existing MX records
  2. Add Google's MX records:
    • MX 1 → aspmx.l.google.com
    • MX 5 → alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
    • MX 5 → alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
    • MX 10 → alt3.aspmx.l.google.com
    • MX 10 → alt4.aspmx.l.google.com
  3. Add Google's SPF and DKIM TXT records

Domain verification for third-party services

Services like Google Search Console require DNS verification:

  1. The service provides a TXT record value (e.g., google-site-verification=abc123...)
  2. Add TXT record with name @ and the provided value
  3. Wait for propagation (1–4 hours)
  4. Return to the service to complete verification

DNS propagation and TTL

What is DNS propagation?

DNS propagation is the time it takes for DNS changes to spread across the internet. DNS servers worldwide cache records, and they must update before changes are visible globally.

Propagation timeframes

  • Local: 5–15 minutes (your ISP)
  • Regional: 1–4 hours (South Africa)
  • Global: 4–24 hours (worldwide)

Most changes propagate within 2–4 hours for users with low-TTL records.

TTL (Time To Live)

TTL determines how long DNS servers cache a record before checking for updates.

  • Low TTL (300-3600): Faster updates, more DNS queries
  • High TTL (14400-86400): Slower updates, fewer DNS queries (more efficient)

Best practice: Set TTL to 3600 (1 hour) when making changes, then increase to 14400 (4 hours) after changes stabilize.

Checking DNS propagation

Use these tools to verify DNS changes have propagated:

  • whatsmydns.net: Check DNS records from multiple locations worldwide
  • mxtoolbox.com: Verify MX, SPF, and other email records
  • dig command: dig yourdomain.co.za A (Linux/Mac)
  • nslookup command: nslookup yourdomain.co.za (Windows)

Troubleshooting DNS issues

Website not loading after DNS changes

  • Verify nameservers point to ns1/ns2.practiwebs.co.za at your registrar
  • Check A record points to correct IP address
  • Wait for DNS propagation (up to 24 hours)
  • Clear your browser cache and DNS cache
  • Test from different device or network

Email not working after DNS changes

  • Verify MX records point to correct mail server
  • Check SPF, DKIM, DMARC records are configured
  • Use mxtoolbox.com to test MX and email authentication
  • Wait for DNS propagation (email services cache DNS heavily)

Subdomain not resolving

  • Verify A or CNAME record exists for the subdomain
  • Ensure the record points to correct IP or domain
  • Check for typos in record name or value
  • Wait for DNS propagation

"DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN" error

This error means the domain does not exist in DNS:

  • Verify nameservers are set correctly at registrar
  • Ensure domain is added to DirectAdmin
  • Check DNS zone contains necessary records
  • Wait for nameserver changes to propagate (up to 24 hours)

Advanced DNS configurations

Wildcard DNS records

Wildcard records match all subdomains:

  • Name: *
  • Type: A
  • Value: Server IP address

Result: Any subdomain (abc.yourdomain.co.za, test.yourdomain.co.za) points to your server.

CAA records (Certificate Authority Authorisation)

CAA records specify which certificate authorities can issue SSL for your domain:

  • Name: @
  • Type: CAA
  • Value: 0 issue "letsencrypt.org"

This allows only Let's Encrypt to issue certificates for your domain.

SRV records for services

SRV records specify service locations (e.g., VoIP, chat servers):

  • Name: _service._protocol (e.g., _sip._tcp)
  • Priority: 10
  • Weight: 10
  • Port: Service port
  • Target: Server hostname

DNS best practices

  • Use low TTL when making changes: Set to 300–3600 for faster propagation
  • Document changes: Keep records of what each DNS record does
  • Avoid excessive records: Remove unused or outdated records
  • Use CNAME for subdomains when possible: Easier to update
  • Test before deleting: Ensure records are not in use before removing
  • Set up email authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC improve deliverability
  • Monitor DNS health: Use monitoring tools to detect DNS issues
  • Back up DNS zone: Export DNS records before major changes

Getting help with DNS management

If you need assistance configuring DNS records, troubleshooting DNS issues, setting up email authentication, or migrating DNS from another provider, contact 0724 Hosting support. We can help with complex DNS configurations, email routing, and third-party service integrations.