Namesilo is a popular domain registrar known for offering affordable domain prices and reliable domain-related services. If you are looking for a cost-effective option to buy your domain and enjoy quality services, Namesilo is the best choice.
In our Namesilo domain registration tutorial, you have already learned how to purchase a domain for your website. However, after purchasing the domain, you need to configure the DNS settings to make it accessible.
This guide focuses on how to change domain name servers and manage DNS in Namesilo. Even if you are using a different domain service provider, you can still refer to this article as the principles for setup are similar.
What is DNS
In web browsers, we typically enter domain names like Google.com or Apple.com to visit specific web pages.
However, the browser doesn’t understand the meaning of “Google” or “Apple“. It only recognizes the IP addresses of the website servers, such as 192.168.1.1.
Therefore, the browser needs to convert the domain names(e.g., Google.com) into the corresponding IP address. This allows the browser to load the target web page correctly.
This transfer process is carried out by DNS (Domain Name System). DNS translates domain names into IP addresses, allowing the browser to load the required network resources.
When to Change DNS Servers and Settings?
In most cases, we just need to keep the default DNS servers.
However, there are certain situations where you may need to change the DNS servers.
- Use a third-party managed DNS provider, such as Cloudflare’s service, to handle our DNS management.
- Using Cloudflare’s DNS server is faster than some default DNS servers, and the paid package offers more personalized settings.
- When using certain services, you may need to change the DNS server to the provider’s server.
- For example, if you are using a CDN service, the CDN provider will require you to modify the DNS servers of your domain name to theirs.
- If you are using a hosting provider that includes domain name management, such as SiteGround, changing the DNS server will be automatically handled by the hosting provider. You won’t need to manually modify or add any settings.
After changing the DNS servers, your DNS will be managed solely by your chosen managed DNS provider. The previous managed DNS provider where you purchased your domain will no longer be effective.
Namesilo Domain Management Interface
- After logging in Namesilo, click the avatar icon on the upper right corner, then click “My Account” to enter Dashboard.
- In the Dashboard, click “Domain Manager” in the left menu to enter the domain management interface.
Namesilo Change Nameservers Tutorial
- Go to the Domain Manager interface and see your list of domain names, find the domain name for which you want to change the DNS servers
- Check the checkbox to the left of the domain name and click Change Nameservers at the top, as shown below:
- The Name Server Entry form must be filled in the first two fields, while the third field can be left empty.
For example, if you want to change the name servers to SiteGround‘s, you need to fill in the DNS server address provided by SiteGround.
In the latest version of SiteGround backend, you can find the location of the name server address view shown below:
How to Manage DNS in Namesilo
Generally, when we change our domain name servers to popular hosting providers, they automatically handle our DNS management, and we usually don’t need to add or remove DNS records.
However, some hosts do not offer DNS management services, so readers who require it can refer to this section.
To modify the DNS for a specific domain name in the Domain Manager interface, follow these steps:
- Select and check the domain name.
- Click on the blue globe icon located on the right side of the domain name to access the DNS management interface.
In the DNS management interface, it is only necessary to add resource records when needed. Usually, adding an A record is enough. However, certain services, like email service, may require the use of CNAME or MX records for authentication. In these cases, just follow the instructions provided by the service for the required operations.
Why can’t I access my website after changing DNS servers?
After changing the DNS servers, it may take some time for the changes to take effect. The time it takes for these changes to propagate can vary depending on different DNS servers around the world, typically ranging from a few hours to several days.
If you want faster DNS resolution service, you can switch to other managed DNS providers, such as Cloudflare.
How to check if the DNS server has been successfully changed?
The easiest way to test if the DNS server is working is by trying to open your website after changing the DNS server. If the website opens correctly, it means the new DNS server is taking effect. If the website cannot be opened, it means the DNS server has not taken effect.
To check if a domain name is effective, you can manually ping it. The ping tool can be used to check the current DNS server of the domain name. You can use a free tool for this purpose.
After entering the domain name in the search bar and clicking on “Search“, you will be able to view the server information of your domain, as shown in the picture below.
Q&A
Q1: How long does it usually take for Namesilo DNS changes to take effect?
After adding DNS records at Namesilo, it usually takes 30-60 minutes for them to take effect.
Q2: Can Namesilo domains be changed to Cloudflare’s name servers? How can I do it?
You can change Namesilo domains to use Cloudflare as a managed DNS provider. For specific instructions, you can refer to the Cloudflare domain DNS setup tutorial.
Q3: Namesilo DNS changes take too long to take effect?
First, refer to the previous text and check if the DNS has been set correctly. If it is set correctly, it usually takes 30-60 minutes for the changes to take effect. If you find that Namesilo’s DNS resolution service is too slow, you can try using Cloudflare’s DNS resolution service instead.
