Hi,

I was wondering how you guys are managing your DNS....

I mean, managing it on your server might be really time-consuming. What are the pros and cons of using an external service?

What do you suggest? I am currently setting up my new (and only one) dedicated server and would like to know what you would recommend as "best" practice concerning DNS services....

How is managing DNS on your server time consuming? I'd have to say managing DNS on your own server is the best way.

Well, what I meant is depending on where your server is located, it might take more time to propagate changes than at other locations (for instance outside) :)

But I am knew in these things, that's why I'm asking

Changes you make on your server are instant. Propagation really only applies to making changes at your registrar. Those changes have to propagate to all of the root servers. Changes you make on your DNS server take effect as soon as you reload the zone files. Other DNS servers that have queried your DNS server may still have outdated records until the cache expires. You can set how long other DNS servers should cache records by setting the TTL (time to live).

If you host many domains, it is a major advantage to manage your own name servers if you are going to move your server anytime and get new IP addresses.

You can then manipulate the zone files through scripts, for example change TTL during the transition and change the IP numbers.

If you buy the service from someone else, this process could be rather tedious, if you for example administrate the domains through a web interface.

/lennart

I will just note that it is possible to buy web interfaces for local DNS management. I.e. both get the benefit of managing your own DNS while still having the easy to use web interface.

And there are free ones as well :)

I have found DNSman, http://www.xsta.cc/dnsman/ , useful, not to complicated, good enough.

/lennart

Command line and scripts. Old Skool.

One thing I recommend you NOT do is use register.com for the DNS hosting. I am in the process of moving all our remaining domain name zone files off register.com and onto our own server. regsiter.com have on occassion dropped some of our domains off their dns for no reason. I have never been able to get satisfactory tech support in these situations either. I have just moved the domains onto my own dns server. Some other of my domains, while still being hosted on the regsiter.com dns are not accessable for me to manage through my control panel with them. Anyway, these days no one would be silly enough to pay the stupid prices register.com charge anyway.

Thanks all, that's very helpful... any other comments welcome of course... :D

Any out there using external DNS like zoneedit?

Why pay for zoneedit or others when you can have full control over your DNS by hosting it yourself?

The reasons for hosting your own DNS far outweigh the reasons for not doing so. If you move servers as leat said, there will be a time when you move servers and it will make things much easier and seamless if you manage your own DNS.

Just my two penneth :-)