How to use DNS Setup page?

[ClubMilonga]

A suggestion: Some of the setup pages in DirectAdmin could really use a few help notes.

Eg: The page for DNS Setup. It showed the domain the free account was set up with (clubmilonga.x10.mx). I already have a domain which was registered elsewhere (clubmilonga.com).

The page offers two buttons: "Rename domain" and "Add new".

What exactly can I expect to happen if I use each of these buttons?

Which one SHOULD I use to get my existing domain working with the site I am setting up? If either will work, what are the differences to consider?

In my case, I finally just renamed the free domain to my existing one, and am waiting to see if it works after it propagates.

But some simple notes on how best to get an existing domain to work with my site would be very helpful. There could be other pages that could also do with a little bit of a help note, either on the page itself or on an associated help page.

I spent a long time in IT, but am brand new to setting up web pages. We used to rely a lot on what we called "documentation"... I had a look around the DirectAdmin web site, but didn't find a clear answer there either. Thanks.

 

[Eric S]

The page offers two buttons: "Rename domain" and "Add new".

Per the same steps you mentioned you would have wanted to "Add new" since you are adding a new domain to your account.

Once you add this new domain to your account the rest of the process is done at your domain registrar side by pointing your nameservers to ours using ns1.x10hosting.com and ns2.x10hosting.com

Hope this helps!

 

[ClubMilonga]

Per the same steps you mentioned you would have wanted to "Add new" since you are adding a new domain to your account.

Hope this helps!

That is helpful, thanks.

Still not sure how much trouble it would have been to add a simple help-hint note on the page, saying something like:

“To access your site with a domain you have registered elsewhere, use ‘Add new’ to add your domain, and then update the DNS and name server settings at your registrar to point your domain here.”

I can’t believe I’m the only one who would have appreciated seeing that right on the page, as soon as the question came to mind, given the pandemic disruptions of late. I didn’t get into this for tinkering or high school assignments, I got into it because our not-for-profit can’t afford to pay to renew our hosting and admin services until we are able to start operating again.

Also: What is the difference between the “Add new” on the domain setup page, and adding a domain pointer on the domain pointers page?

After much searching around, I (finally) found some references to adding the domain as a domain pointer in DirectAdmin so as to park it. So I tried that on my second go. It seems to do more or less what I want, except Firefox balks with an SSL_ERROR_BAD_CERT_DOMAIN error. (It comes up okay in Opera, although still with a “not secure” indication, and with the page address showing as the X10hosting domain rather than as my own.) Would switching to “Add new” on the setup page, instead of a domain pointer entry, solve this?

Thanks.

 

[Eric S]

That is helpful, thanks.

Still not sure how much trouble it would have been to add a simple help-hint note on the page, saying something like:

“To access your site with a domain you have registered elsewhere, use ‘Add new’ to add your domain, and then update the DNS and name server settings at your registrar to point your domain here.”

I can’t believe I’m the only one who would have appreciated seeing that right on the page, as soon as the question came to mind, given the pandemic disruptions of late. I didn’t get into this for tinkering or high school assignments, I got into it because our not-for-profit can’t afford to pay to renew our hosting and admin services until we are able to start operating again.

Also: What is the difference between the “Add new” on the domain setup page, and adding a domain pointer on the domain pointers page?

After much searching around, I (finally) found some references to adding the domain as a domain pointer in DirectAdmin so as to park it. So I tried that on my second go. It seems to do more or less what I want, except Firefox balks with an SSL_ERROR_BAD_CERT_DOMAIN error. (It comes up okay in Opera, although still with a “not secure” indication, and with the page address showing as the X10hosting domain rather than as my own.) Would switching to “Add new” on the setup page, instead of a domain pointer entry, solve this?

Thanks.

I would recommend using add new on the setup.

Once this is done you will be able to generate a free SSL for this domain via your account under the SSL section which will provide a valid SSL for this domain on our hosting.

 

[ClubMilonga]

Fair enough, is now added. Thanks.

re SSL: What's the best option for getting a certificate to cover my added domain name?

Sharing the server's certificate seems to work for the x10.mx, but apparently not for my added domain.
The Let's Encrypt option wants to force the common name to the x10.mx.

 

[Anna]

It is a bit tricky before you notice it, but at the header of DirectAdmin there is a dropdown where you can change what domain you have as the "active" one for the settings page you are currently at. Make sure that shows the domain you want to add ssl for. See image for clarification.

 

[ClubMilonga]

Getting closer... Thanks. (Having that domain selector field way, way up there on the screen is actually a bit nasty...)

Got as far as requesting a Let's Encrypt certificate for the (correct this time) domain a week or so ago. It responded with "Error creating new order :: Too many new orders recently".

Just tried again this afternoon. It responded with "Error creating new order :: too many new orders recently".

How long do I need to wait until it will accept a request?

Also - It lists a bunch of variations on the domain (domain, www, ftp, mail, pop, smtp) that can be included in the certificate, with the domain and www checked. I have seen some examples with people putting in requests for Let's Encrypt certificates with just the domain and www checked, and one example which also checked the mail but not the ftp or smtp.

What is actually best to include in the request?

I have set up the mail account for the domain, which is working now. (My Thunderbird seems to be whining that it's not finding a valid certificate yet, but it is connecting and showing what comes in.) I don't envision having much use for ftp access myself apart from straight uploading into the file manager while logged in, and I don't envision having subdomains for a while yet so there is probably not much point using a wildcard. On the other hand, I'm sure there are lots of examples around showing why a little bit of paranoia could be in order.

Thanks.