Domain Name Parsing Tutorial

Domain Name Parsing Tutorial (for 9v4.com Platform)

Below is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to managing domain names and configuring DNS records on 9v4.com. Learn how to handle domain management, DNS settings, and avoid common pitfalls (especially with PowerDNS and CNAME restrictions at the apex).

Table of Contents

1. Login and Access Domain Management
2. Select Nameservers (DNS Interface)
3. DNS Record Management (Add/Edit Records)
4. PowerDNS Restriction: CNAME at Apex (@) is Prohibited
5. Records Supported at Apex (@)

1. Login and Access Domain Management

1. Go to https://store.9v4.com.
2. Log in using your  store account credentials (username/password).
3. Navigate to Services from the dashboard.
4. Locate your domain name in the service list and click the “Manage” button (labeled Manage).
5. You’ll now enter the Domain Management Console, where you can configure DNS and other settings.

2. Select Nameservers (DNS Interface)

In the domain management console, find the “Nameservers” or “DNS Provider” section.

Default Settings

• Default Nameservers:

  • ns1.9v4.com
  • ns2.9v4.com

These nameservers are provided by store.9v4.com and include built-in DNS Record Management tools.

Can I Switch to Other DNS Providers?

• Yes. You can change the nameservers to those of other DNS providers (e.g., CloudFlare, AliDNS, DNSPod, Google Cloud DNS).

• ⚠️ Warning:

  • If you switch to third-party nameservers, you will lose access to store.9v4.com built-in DNS Record Management.
  • All DNS changes must then be made on the third-party provider’s platform.

How to Change Nameservers

1. In the domain console, go to “Nameservers”.
2. Replace ns1.9v4.com and ns2.9v4.com with your preferred provider’s nameservers.
3. Update the changes.

Recommendation: Unless you have a specific need (e.g., advanced DNS features, lower costs), keep the default nameservers to easily manage DNS records via store.9v4.com.

3. DNS Record Management (Add/Edit Records)

In the domain console, locate the “DNS Record Management” section.

Supported Record Types

• A: IPv4 address mapping
• AAAA: IPv6 address mapping
• CNAME: Alias record (points to another domain)
• MX: Mail exchange record (for email routing)
• TXT: Text record (used for domain verification, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, etc.)
• SPF: Specialized TXT record for email authentication
• DS: Delegation Signer record (for DNSSEC)

How to Add/Edit Records

1. In the DNS record list, click “+ ” Add Record Or “Update Record” “Delete Record ”   . 

2. Fill in the following fields:

   Field	Description
   Record Type	Choose from: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SPF, DS, etc.
   Host/Name	Subdomain prefix (e.g., www).  @ for the apex/root domain.
   Value/Data	Target IP, domain, or text (e.g., 192.0.2.1, example.com., "verification-value").
   TTL	Time-to-live (cache duration). Use default (e.g., 300 or 86400) unless specified.
   Additional Options	For MX (priority), SPF (record value), etc.

3. Click “+” .

Tips:

• CNAME records cannot be added at the apex (@) (see Section 4).
• MX records require a priority number (lower numbers = higher priority).

4. PowerDNS Restriction: CNAME at Apex (@) is Prohibited

Why?

• The apex domain (@ or root domain, e.g., example.com) already contains two critical predefined records:

  1. SOA Record: Start of Authority (defines DNS zone authority, serial numbers, refresh times, etc.).
  2. NS Record: Nameserver Record (lists DNS servers for the domain).

• DNS Standards (RFC 1034/1035) state:

  “A CNAME record cannot coexist with any other record for the same name.”

• Since SOA and NS already exist at the apex, adding a CNAME would cause a conflict.

Error Message

If you attempt to add a CNAME at the apex, PowerDNS will return:

Conflicts with pre-existing RRset (9999)

• 9999: PowerDNS error code indicating a record conflict.

Solutions

1. Do NOT use CNAME at the apex.

   • Recommended: Use A/AAAA records to directly point the apex to an IP address.
   • Alternatively, point traffic to a subdomain (e.g., www) and use a CNAME there.

2. If you need apex-to-domain redirection:

   • Check if your service provider supports CNAME-like aliases (e.g., ANAME, ALIAS) — but these are not standard DNS records and require provider-specific support.
   • Examples: Vercel, Netlify, CloudFront often use alias records, but they work only with compatible DNS providers.

Example (Incorrect vs. Correct):

Summary & Best Practices

If you encounter issues or need help with specific configurations (e.g., DNSSEC, domain redirection), feel free to ask!