Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Eagle DNS for Your DomainThis guide walks you through configuring Eagle DNS for your domain, from initial account setup to advanced records and troubleshooting. It assumes you already own a domain and have access to its registrar control panel.
What is Eagle DNS and why use it?
Eagle DNS is a managed DNS service designed to provide fast resolution, high availability, and security features such as DDoS protection and DNSSEC. Using a dedicated DNS provider like Eagle DNS can reduce latency, improve uptime, and offer better management features compared with basic registrar DNS.
Prerequisites
- A registered domain name and login access to your domain registrar.
- An Eagle DNS account (create one at Eagle DNS’s signup page if you don’t have it).
- Administrative access to Eagle DNS dashboard and the domain registrar’s nameserver settings.
- A basic understanding of DNS record types (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, SRV).
Step 1 — Create an Eagle DNS account and verify your email
- Go to Eagle DNS’s website and sign up for an account.
- Choose a plan that fits your needs (free tiers often suffice for small sites; paid plans add features and higher query quotas).
- Verify your email address when prompted.
- Log in to the Eagle DNS dashboard.
Tip: Keep two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled for account security.
Step 2 — Add your domain to Eagle DNS
- In the Eagle DNS dashboard, find “Add Domain” or “Create Zone.”
- Enter your full domain name (e.g., example.com) and create the DNS zone.
- Eagle DNS will generate the authoritative nameservers for your domain (e.g., ns1.eagledns.net, ns2.eagledns.net). Note these nameservers — you’ll need them at your registrar.
Step 3 — Set up basic DNS records
Once the zone exists, add the essential records that make your domain work.
-
A (IPv4) record — points your domain/subdomain to an IPv4 address.
- Host: @ (or leave blank)
- Type: A
- Value: your server IPv4 address (e.g., 203.0.113.10)
- TTL: leave default (e.g., 300 seconds)
-
AAAA (IPv6) record — if your server has an IPv6 address.
- Host: @
- Type: AAAA
- Value: your server IPv6 address (e.g., 2001:db8::1)
-
CNAME — alias one name to another (not allowed at apex/root).
- Host: www
- Type: CNAME
- Value: example.com
-
MX — mail exchanger records for email delivery.
- Host: @
- Type: MX
- Priority: 10
- Value: mail.example.com
-
TXT — for SPF, domain verification, and other text data.
- Host: @
- Type: TXT
- Value: “v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all”
Add records via the Eagle DNS UI: there’s usually an “Add Record” button; choose the type, fill fields, save.
Step 4 — Configure nameservers at your registrar
- Log in to your domain registrar.
- Find the domain’s Nameserver settings (often under DNS or Domain Management).
- Replace existing nameservers with the Eagle DNS nameservers provided in Step 2. You typically enter at least two (ns1 and ns2).
- Save changes.
Note: Nameserver updates can take 24–48 hours globally, though many updates propagate faster.
Step 5 — Enable DNSSEC (optional but recommended)
DNSSEC adds cryptographic validation to DNS responses.
- In Eagle DNS, locate DNSSEC settings for your zone.
- Enable DNSSEC — Eagle DNS will provide DS records (Key Tag, Algorithm, Digest Type, Digest).
- In your registrar’s control panel, enter the DS record values to activate DNSSEC at the parent zone.
- Save and wait for propagation.
Step 6 — Configure advanced features
- Traffic management / load balancing: create multiple A records or use Eagle DNS’s load balancing features to distribute traffic.
- GeoDNS: serve different IPs depending on user location (if Eagle DNS supports GeoDNS).
- Failover: set health checks and automatic failover to backup IPs.
- TTL tuning: lower TTL (e.g., 60–300s) for records you expect to change frequently; increase for static records.
Step 7 — Set up email and SPF/DKIM/DMARC
- SPF: add or update a TXT record with your SPF policy.
- DKIM: generate DKIM keys on your mail server or mail provider, add the provided TXT record.
- DMARC: add a TXT record _dmarc.example.com with policy like:
- “v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:[email protected]; pct=100”
Step 8 — Verify and test
- Use dig or nslookup to check records:
- dig +short A example.com @ns1.eagledns.net
- DNS propagation checkers and online tools can show global propagation.
- Validate DNSSEC with tools like dig +dnssec or online validators.
- Test email delivery and SPF/DKIM/DMARC using mail testing services.
Common issues and troubleshooting
- Records not resolving: ensure nameservers at registrar match Eagle DNS and wait for propagation.
- Wrong IP returned: check TTL; if recently changed, old values may be cached.
- DNSSEC failures: ensure DS records at registrar match the values from Eagle DNS.
- MX/Email problems: ensure MX points to correct mail server and SPF/DKIM are correct.
Best practices
- Keep a backup of zone file exports.
- Use low TTLs only when necessary; high TTLs reduce query load.
- Monitor DNS query analytics and set alerts for unusual spikes (possible DDoS).
- Rotate keys and credentials periodically; use 2FA.
Example zone file (template)
$ORIGIN example.com. @ 3600 IN SOA ns1.eagledns.net. hostmaster.example.com. ( 2025083001 ; serial 7200 ; refresh 3600 ; retry 1209600 ; expire 3600 ) ; minimum 3600 IN NS ns1.eagledns.net. 3600 IN NS ns2.eagledns.net. @ 300 IN A 203.0.113.10 www 300 IN CNAME example.com. mail 300 IN A 203.0.113.20 @ 3600 IN MX 10 mail.example.com. @ 3600 IN TXT "v=spf1 ip4:203.0.113.20 -all" If you want, tell me your registrar and I’ll give exact steps for where to change nameservers there.
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