II. Entering an IP address instead of a hostname in the Data field may not give you the intended result. If you do not have a hostname for your mail server and only have the IP address, please email our DNS Team on dns@actrix.co.nz and we can work with you to find a solution.

III. The Priority field is used to determine which MX record holds the highest priority so that in the event that one mail server is unavailable, a lower priority "back-up" mail server can be used to collect your domain's email in its place, e.g. a SMTP Dropbox. The lower the number, the higher the priority. If your domain is only going to have one MX record, setting the Priority to something like '10' should be fine.


How do I add a sub domain?

A subdomain is a domain that is part of a larger domain, e.g. home.yourdomain.co.nz. A subdomain can point to either an IP address or a hostname.

Creating a subdomain that points to an IP address:

1. In the Domain Control Panel, click Zone next to the domain name that you wish to modify
2. Click the Add button  on the right-hand side
3. Ensure that the Type field is set to 'A'
4. In the Name field, enter the subdomain you are wanting to create (e.g. if you were wanting to create 'home.yourdomain.co.nz', simply enter 'home' ^IV ) and in the Data field enter the IP address of the destination server
5. Click the Save button  on the right-hand side.

Creating a subdomain that points to a hostname:

1. In the Domain Control Panel, click Zone next to the domain name that you wish to modify
2. Click the Add button  on the right-hand side
3. Ensure that the Type field is set to 'CNAME'
4. In the Name field, enter the subdomain you are wanting to create (e.g. if you were wanting to create 'home.yourdomain.co.nz', simply enter 'home' ^V ) and in the Data field enter the hostname of the destination server
5. Click the Save button  on the right-hand side.

IV. A Fully Qualified Domain Name is not required in the Name field.

V.  A Fully Qualified Domain Name is only required in the Data field if the CNAME record points to another domain. For example, if you were wanting home.yourdomain.co.nz to point to www.example.com, you would need to enter the full hostname of 'www.example.com' in the Data field. If you were wanting home.yourdomain.co.nz to point to www.yourdomain.co.nz, then you would only need to enter 'www' in the Data field.


How long do DNS record changes take?

This depends largely on how fast DNS caching servers update around the Internet. We would generally advise you to allow 48 hours for record changes to propagate across the Internet.

For more information on DNS caching, please see this article.


How can I update my domain name's Whois information?

The Whois information for your domain is publicly viewable and contains the Registrar, Registrant, Administrative, and Technical contact for your domain, as well as the authoritative name servers.

To view this information via the Domain Control Panel once you have logged in, click "whois" next to domain name you are wanting to check. It's important that these details are kept up-to-date, so if any of the information is incorrect then simply email us on dns@actrix.co.nz with which details you would like updated and our DNS Team can take of that for you.

Glossary

A Record

An A (address) record returns a 32-bit IPv4 address and is most commonly used to map a hostname to an IP address of a host. For example, an A record is used to point the hostname 'actrix.co.nz' to the IP address '203.96.16.126'.

AAAA Record

An AAAA Record is used to map a hostname to an IPv6 address. More information on AAAA Records can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AAAA_record#IPv6_in_the_Domain_Name_System

Please contact dns@actrix.co.nz for assistance with creating and modifying AAAA Records.

DNS

The Domain Name System (DNS) basically serves as a "phone book" for the Internet that translates human-friendly hostnames into IP addresses. For example, the domain name actrix.co.nz translates to the IP address 203.96.16.126.

Domain Name

A Domain Name is a unique text name (e.g. actrix.co.nz) which provides a more memorable name to stand in for a numeric IP address that identifies a device on the Internet. An Internet user can access a website by typing its domain name into the address bar of their web browser.

Domain Renewal

Domain renewal is the process of lengthening the period of registration for a Domain Name. Domain Names with Actrix are initially registered for a year and are automatically renewed each year unless requested otherwise. If a Domain Name is not renewed, it will eventually expire after the year is up and eventually be deleted from the registry database. To prevent this from happening, the domain must be renewed for a further year or more. A Domain Name's current registrant has first rights on its renewal.

Fully Qualified Domain Name

A Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) is a domain name that specifies its exact location, including the hostname and parent domain name, and is specified with a trailing dot (.).

Hostname

A name that identifies a host (such as a computer or other device) on a network. Hostnames can contain only alphanumerical characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9) or a hyphen (-).

IP Address

An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique numerical identifier given to each Internet connection, or to each interface on a network. IP addresses allow data to find its way from one location to another via the Internet.

PTR Record

A PTR Record is a pointer to a canonical name used mainly for reverse DNS lookups. More information on PTR Records can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PTR_record#PTR

Please contact dns@actrix.co.nz for assistance with creating and modifying PTR Records.

MX Record

An MX (mail exchanger) record is used to specify the hostname of the mail server responsible for accepting email messages on behalf of the recipient's domain. For example, if your domain's email is handled by Actrix, the MX record for your domain will point to Actrix's mail server, 'mta.actrix.co.nz.'.

Name Servers

Name servers are servers that perform DNS functions by administrating the translation of domain names to IP addresses.

Second Level Domain

There are currently 15 second level domain (2LD) extensions available in New Zealand. The name second level refers to the part that is before the country-code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) extension, which in New Zealand is .nz. For example, in the domain name actrix.co.nz, the 2LD is ".co".

If the domain name is using a generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) such as .com or .net, the 2LD is then the first non-generic level of a domain, can use any alphanumeric characters or a hyphen (-), and can be up to 63 characters long. For example, in the domain name actrix.com, the 2LD is "actrix".

SRV Record

An SRV (Service) Record allows users to connect to a server associated with a domain name based on the protocol used rather than having to specify a sub-domain. More information on SRV Records can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srv_record

Please contact dns@actrix.co.nz for assistance with creating or modifying SRV Records.

Third Level Domain

A third level domain is the first non-generic level of a domain, and can contain any combination of alphanumeric characters or a hyphen (-). A third level domain is limited to a maximum of 63 characters and is subject to availability on a "first come, first served" basis.  For example, in the domain name actrix.co.nz, the third level domain is "actrix".

If the domain name is using a generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) such as .com or .net, the third level domain is then a sub-domain. For example, in the hostname editor.actrix.com, the third level domain is "editor".

Top Level Domain

The two most common types of Top Level Domain (TLD) that you would normally see are the country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) and the generic Top Level Domain (gTLD).

ccTLD's are usually used or reserved by individuals or organisations of a particular country. For example, because Actrix is a New Zealand based company, we primarily use the domain name actrix.co.nz, where ".nz" is the ccTLD. More information on ccTLD's can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country-code_top-level_domain

gTLD's are a set of general purpose domains that can be used by anyone worldwide, provided the registrant is eligible. For example, the domain name actrix.com uses the gTLD ".com". More information on generic Top Level Domains can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_top-level_domain

TTL

For the purpose of domain name records, Time To Live (TTL) is the amount of time in seconds before a cached domain record is purged.

Zone File

A Zone File contains information that defines mappings between hostnames, IP addresses and other resources for each domain name.