In this article, we explain how to set an NS record within the DNS settings of your domain name.
NS stands for nameserver and allows you to use separate nameservers for subdomains compared to the nameservers of your root domain name.
Where do I add an NS record?
You can add all your DNS records easily and free of charge via your control panel. Go to 'Domain' and click the domain in the left column for which you want to set the NS record (do not check).
Now scroll to 'Advanced Domain Settings', followed by 'DNS'. If you do not see this yet, first click the switch behind 'TransIP settings' so the TransIP settings are switched off. This will show an overview of your DNS records.
How do I set an NS record?
An NS record is used to provide a subdomain with different nameservers than the nameservers that you use for your root domain.
In the example above, we want to use our own nameservers for our subdomain 'forum.site-example.com'.
Name
You set an NS record by starting with the name. Here you specify the subdomain the DNS record should work for. You can only set an NS record for a subdomain.
- If you want to set an NS record for a subdomain, only enter the subdomain in the 'Name' field.
- Our DNS software will automatically add the root domain name in the background.
TTL
The 'TTL' of a DNS record determines how long the record can remain in the cache. We recommend keeping the TTL low, for example at 1 or 5 minutes.
Type
Because we're configuring an NS record, choose 'NS' under 'Type'.
Value
For the 'Value' of an NS record, you enter the nameserver you wish to use for the subdomain. In our example the nameserver is ns1.exampleserver.com.
It's important to close the value with a dot. This is the so called trailing dot, which prevents our DNS software from adding your root domain to the value.
After adding the NS record, you can manage the DNS for the subdomain within the configuration of the nameservers that you have entered.
- We do not provide technical support for the configuration of your own nameservers. If you have any questions about this, we advise you to consult the online documentation of your name server software.
- It is not necessary to add an NS record with the TransIP nameservers for subdomains. If you use the TransIP nameservers for your domain name this also applies to any subdomains and you can manage the DNS via your control panel, except if you use NS records for a subdomein to point to external nameservers.
- If you use an NS record to point a subdomain to external nameservers and want to secure this subdomain with DNSSSEC, then you also need to create a DS record for that subdomain. For more information please check: Adding a DS record.
In this article, we explained how to add an NS record for a subdomain.
If you have any questions regarding this article, please contact our support team. You can reach them using the 'Contact us' button below or via the 'Contact' button inside your control panel.