Re: DNS question

[Glynn Clements <glynn@gclements.plus.com>]

Chuck Campbell wrote:

> I've managed to completely confuse myself.
> 
> I have a domain registered at a registrar and hosted at a provider.
> 
> The provider has given me primary and secondary DNS names and ip addresses.
> 
> I have entered those at the registrar's site. All whois queries work and 
> email is configured and working properly.  I can find the web site from
> anyone's browser.
> 
> I now have a new company which has built commercial web pages for me, and I 
> need to make them active.  This company says I need to change my DNS addresses
> with my registrar to make this work.  Is this correct?

No. Your DNS provider needs to change the addresses of the A records.
That's all.

> They will then take over hosting the domain (become my NEW provider)?
> 
> They do NOT do any email, so if I make the DNS server changes at my registrar, 
> will my email break?
> 
> If not, then I'm not sure I understand how any of this works.
> 
> I thought that my provider (ISP) puts up A and MX DNS records which allow
> resolution of my web pages and my email addresses.  If I switch to a new 
> provider that claims to not do email, who will make my email work?

The registrar ensures that the DNS servers for the parent domain (e.g. 
com) have NS records for your domain (e.g. yourdomain.com) which point
at your provider's DNS servers.

You need to ask your provider to make the A records for yourdomain.com
and/or www.yourdomain.com point at the web-hosting company's web
server(s). Leave the MX records for yourdomain.com pointing to the
existing mail (SMTP) server(s).

The company which provides web hosting doesn't need to host your DNS;
they just need to have the appropriate A records pointed at their
server.

-- 
Glynn Clements <glynn@gclements.plus.com>