📌 Purpose & Quick Summary

Professional web hosts must maintain complete brand identity. The DNS & Private Nameservers manager (index.php?page=dns) allows you to establish custom, white-labeled nameservers (e.g. ns1.yourbrand.com and ns2.yourbrand.com). When saved, BoostonCP automatically injects your branded NS records into all newly provisioned client websites, ensuring that public WHOIS lookups reflect your company rather than the upstream server provider.

BoostonCP Reseller Private Nameservers & DNS Overview

Figure 4: Private Nameservers configuration showing NS1/NS2 setup, DNS-only domain registrar, and zone management.

🖥️ Interface Tour & Elements

  1. Private Nameservers Setup Panel:
    • Primary Nameserver (NS1): FQDN hostname (e.g. ns1.yourbrand.com).
    • Secondary Nameserver (NS2): FQDN hostname (e.g. ns2.yourbrand.com).
    • Save Nameservers Button: Compiles NS records into DNS templates.
  2. Register DNS-Only Domain Panel: Allows creating a DNS Zone on the server for external domains (e.g. domains hosted on external mail servers or parked) without creating a webroot folder.
  3. Zone Records Ledger: Displays all active zones managed under your reseller account with zone editor shortcuts.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Setting Up Your Private Nameservers

  1. At your domain registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy, Cloudflare), register Glue Records (Child Nameservers):
    • ns1.yourbrand.com -> Points to your Primary Server IP.
    • ns2.yourbrand.com -> Points to your Secondary Server IP.
  2. In the BoostonCP Reseller Panel, click Private Nameservers in the sidebar.
  3. In Primary Nameserver (NS1), enter ns1.yourbrand.com.
  4. In Secondary Nameserver (NS2), enter ns2.yourbrand.com.
  5. Click Save Nameservers.
  6. Every client website created from this point forward will automatically use your custom nameservers in their default DNS zone.

Step 2: Registering a DNS-Only Domain

  1. In the Register DNS-Only Domain card, enter the domain name (e.g. externalapp.com).
  2. Click Add Zone.
  3. The server generates standard BIND zone templates on the local DNS server without creating website directories.

⚙️ Complete Field & Parameter Reference Table

Configuration Field Example Format External Registrar Requirement
Primary NS (NS1) ns1.yourbrand.com Must have registered Glue Host record pointing to server IPv4.
Secondary NS (NS2) ns2.yourbrand.com Redundant glue record pointing to server IPv4 / secondary IP.
DNS-Only Zone domain.com Creates SOA, NS, and root A records without VirtualHost files.

❓ Troubleshooting & Common Errors

1. Client Domains Show "Nameserver Inactive / Unresolvable"

  • Cause: Glue records were not created at the parent domain's registrar, or DNS propagation is pending.
  • Solution: Verify glue records using whois yourbrand.com. Ensure that A records for ns1 and ns2 exist in your DNS Zone.