CloudFlare DNS Overview - dns

This is a definitely a high level question so please take that with a grain of salt. I'm using GoDaddy as my registrar to point to my github pages website. I've uploaded the CNAME file and the URL resolves correctly. I've then set up CloudFlare on my site and am confused as to why I need to switch DNS servers to resolve to an IP address. So now, when the root finds the Top Level Domain for .com, will it now point to the CloudFlare DNS vs the GoDaddy one? In effect am I now just paying GoDaddy for the address and allowing CloudFlare to resolve the IP from the Top Level Domain Servers? Just trying to get an idea of what the CloudFlare DNS server is actually doing and why I had to switch out the GoDaddy one.

CloudFlare is taking over managing the DNS for the domain when you switch to our nameservers (GoDaddy is still your registrar/host). CloudFlare works via authoritative DNS.

Related

Client cname pointing to my domain on cloudflare

A client of ours has the domain client.com
Our application is at superapp.mycompany.com
We want the client to be able to access our application via their own subdomain, like: superapp.client.com.
Normally we'd just tell the client to add a cname for superapp and point it to superapp.mycompany.com. Then on our server (IIS) we'd bind their domain to our app and everything would work as intended.
However, we can't replicate this functionality when our mycompany.com domain is managed via cloudflare.
When we navigate to superapp.client.com we get the following error page:
Error 1001
What happened?
You've requested a page on a website (superapp.client.com) that is on the Cloudflare network. Cloudflare is currently unable to resolve your requested domain (superapp.client.com).
Is there any way that Cloudflare can be used in this fashion?, this seems like a pretty standard set up for a multi tenant application that supports custom domains.
We don't need all the protection that Cloudfront offers for these client domains, but we want to use the Cloudfront nameservers for out application (mainly for fast switching of DNS records in the event we migrate servers, etc).
Any help is appreciated.
I hope it's not too late. But just found a way to do so.
You just need to add your client's domain (Add site in Cloudflare) to your account.
You don't need to change client domain's NS. So in your Cloudflare panel this domain will showing as "Pending Nameserver Update".
Next step is add the CName record to this domain.
Although the NS of client domain is not changed to CF, but CF has a lookup record as CName for it.
Hope it helps.
Just in case someone arrived here with same issue as me. Here is the answer. For short, no that won't work.
Since Cloudflare is a reverse proxy for the domain that is on Cloudflare, the CNAME redirect for the domain (not on Cloudflare) wouldn't know where to send the traffic to.
Ref: https://support.cloudflare.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017421192-Cloudflare-DNS-FAQ#CloudflareDNSFAQ-CanICNAMEadomainnotonCloudflaretoadomainthatisonCloudflare
If you don't need the CDN benefits, you can still use Cloudflare nameservers to manage your DNS zone and keep your current configuration. Just make sure the CDN is deactivated for the target subdomain in your zone (superapp.mycompany.com in your case).
You can tell if the CDN is activated or deactivated for a subdomain by looking at the cloud icon on the right of each DNS entry: if the cloud is orange the CDN is active, if it is gray, it isn't.
Cloudflare also supports external CNAME resolution in their CDN infrastructure, but it's only available for its Enterprise customers:
https://support.cloudflare.com/hc/en-us/articles/217371987-Managed-CNAME

Domain registrar's DNS records vs web hosting DNS records

I bought a domain from Google Domains. I have an A record (on Google Domains DNS control panel) pointed to my server's IP. I had a www CNAME record pointed to mydomain.tld. To experiment with my hosting panel's DNS (I have VestaCP) I deleted the www record from Google Domains DNS panel. There was already a www A record on VestaCP DNS panel. I deleted that and added a www CNAME record pointing to mydomain.tld. And suddenly my www.mydomain.tld stopped resolving. I also tried adding a test A record but I couldn't ping `test.mydomain.tld'.
So, how does hosting panel's DNS work? Each time I add a new website (be it a sub domain or a new domain itself) VestaCP creates certain DNS records. Are these DNS records supposed to override the ones in domain registrar's DNS panel or vice versa? What are DNS records in VestaCP DNS are there for?
When you have your hosting and domain in one single server or with one provider, your domain DNS will be with your domain itself. You just need to point the A record to hosting IP. Your Nameservers will be the default.
If you have your domain with one hosting provider and domain with other then you need to change your domain Nameservers to hosting nameservers. Then your DNS will migrate to your hosting account. The changes you may do in your domain panel will not affect. You can change your DNS settings from your hosting account only.
Hope it helps.

How can i setup a dns server on OVH VPS?

I have a VPS server on OVH, it just has its own ip and Reverse DNS.
So i basically always used domain trough cloudflare and pointed a record to my VPS IP.
I don't want to use cloudflare anymore, I've bought the DNS Anycast option for my domain and pointed a record to my VPS IP, but website just stopped working.. What should i do ?
I have 3 more domains, i would want to make some ns1.mydomain.com ns2.mydomain.com zones based on my main domain, so i could use it for all my other domains, How can i do that?
ps. In case if this info is needed, all my domains are in OVH too.
1) You could revert back to previous state. Other than that, it is difficult to troubleshoot DNS issues without real domain name.
2) DNS is crucial part of infrastructure, you don't want to host that by yourself unless you know what you are doing.

Using CloudFlare with CloudWays Digital Ocean PHP Stack

We are hosting our website on CloudWays Digital Ocean server, and our application is a PHP Stack.
That means the domain name isn't using ns1 ns2 as usual, but is using CNAME record to point to the PHP stack.
We need to start using CloudFlare CDN with our website, and I already know CloudFlare is implemented by changing the nameservers ns1 and ns2 to their nameservers.
But we're not using nameservers on our domain.
So, how do we start using CloudFlare, how do we set it up so it starts receiving traffic from the domain that points to our PHP Stack with a CNAME record?
Your domain will always have a nameserver option. Once you point your DNS to CloudFlare by changing your nameservers, you can then from CloudFlare point your CNAME records through CloudFlare to your Digital Ocean server.
If you are asking how to set-up CloudFlare without changing nameservers via a CNAME set-up, you either need to be an enterprise customer or need a company who is a CloudFlare Partner to set this up for you.
I think this question needs to be updated. Now, Cloudways offer a Cloudflare Enterprise plan for their customers (integration with a few clicks) and when it comes to a free Cloudflare plan then read this guide: https://www.cloudways.com/blog/wordpress-cloudflare-cdn/

Redirect DNS to another DNS

I have about 300 domains using my company DNS ns1.x.com.br and ns1.x.com.br
I want to use CloudFlare with all those 300 domains but when I add a domain to CloudFlare they give me new DNS that I need to change in my domains.
So far I added 70 domains to CloudFlare and they gave me only 3 sets of primary and slave DNS.
So, can I point my ns1.x.com.br to the primary DNS provided by CloudFlare? And do the same with the slave?
After that I will create a ns3.x.com.br and point it to another CloudFlare DNS. Will it work?
CloudFlare works at the DNS level in this way:
You have to signup for CloudFlare and add the domain (make sure all of your DNS records are in your DNS zone file at CloudFlare).
You then change to our nameservers at the registrar.
Only our nameservers can be at the registrar.
"So, can I point my ns1.x.com.br to the primary DNS provided by CloudFlare? And do the same with the slave?
After that I will create a ns3.x.com.br and point it to another CloudFlare DNS. Will it work?"
These records should be in your CloudFlare DNS zone file for the site(s) on those nameservers. They can't be active at the registrar because only CloudFlare's nameservers can be there for our service to properly work.
Note: I'm not sure if you're providing commercial hosting for sites. If yes, you might want to look at becoming a CloudFlare Hosting Partner instead (you don't have to worry about changing nameservers).
Yes, you can. There is a possibility to add domain in the new name server first you need to know the domain secret of each domain(It's a 6 Digit pin maintained with your current DNS)Theft Protection pin also needed. Both are same in the ResellerClub.
If you are using ResellerClub means Its Really easy to change, Because it has a Bulk Domain Booking option. That have a option "add existing Domain" option.
If You have any other Problem. Or this not a exact answer you need, Then please chat with me. I will update the answer. Thank You...

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