Editing DNS Information in cPanel
Posted on Monday, Jul 18, 2011 in "Control Panels"
cPanel boasts one of the easiest to use interfaces in the web hosting industry. This is one of the main reasons for its continued popularity. Therefore, it is simple to edit DNS zones without the hassle normally associated with manually editing the files. Manual editing is typically prevalent with other web hosting control panels. However, cPanel automates this task making it much easier for the user.
Editing DNS Zones
The first step to editing a DNS zone is to log in to cPanel. Next, navigate to the “Domains” section which provides two options: “Simple DNS Zone” and “Advanced DNS Zone”. Then select a specific domain name from the drop-down menu and enter the name and address for an A-record or CNAME record.
A-records are primary records that link to the server’s IP address thus translating the numeric address to an alphabetic user-friendly domain name. For instance, www.cpanel.com will have its own A-record. CNAME records are the aliases for subdomains. For example, mail.cpanel.com could also point to www.cpanel.com. Once you are finished entering the information click “Add a Record” or “Add CNAME Record.”
Editing Advanced DNS Zones
For the Advanced DNS Zone features there are three types of records that can be added: A, CNAME and TXT. The last record is specifically used with miscellaneous entries such as SPF records. To add a record here, enter the Name Type (A, CNAME, TXT), TTL (Time to Live) and address. To complete the desired changes simply click “Add a Record”.
Creating MX Records
cPanel also allows users to create MX (mail) records. These are located in the mail settings. For instance, if you are configuring a cloud email, you must add the MX records and CNAME records to be successful.
To add an MX record you must first navigate to the “Mail” section and click “MX Entry.” Next, select your domain and then “Local” (you mail server), “Backup”, or “Remote” (cloud mail server) mail exchange. To add the record, input the order in which the servers will be used beginning with “0” and the destination of the remote server or domain. Finally, click “Add New Record” to make the desired changes.
The process of configuring DNS information is much easier in cPanel than in other web hosting control panels. Once you become comfortable with the interface and system functionality, this procedure should be a breeze.
