TOPIC:

ABOUT DNS

(skip to HOW TO, if you already know about DNS)

Using DNS (Domain Name Service) lets us access servers connected to the Internet with easy aliases instead of a their actual IP (network) address (= a collection of numbers). These aliases are linked to a 'domain'. For example www.toastmasters.org is the website for the toastmasters.org domain. It's actually hosted on a web server connected to the Internet at IP address 208.179.211.4, but DNS covers that up for us.

Anyone can register and own most Internet domains, as long as they're not already taken. To reiterate - the domain (name) is the toastmasters.org part in the example above, the www part is the alias for the domain's web server. Most working domains also have an email server, to handle all the email sent to addresses that end @that.domain.

HOW TO (use your custom domain to front-up your FTH 2.0 website and email)

It's a two-part process;

Firstly - you need to make sure the DNS records that configure how your domain is used tell Internet users computers to go to the FTH 2.0 servers for your domain's website and email.

Secondly - then, because the FTH 2.0 servers host multiple TI websites and their associated email, FTH 2.0 needs to know what your custom domain is. This ensures users typing www.<yourdomain> into their browsers get to see your website on the FTH 2.0 servers and that your domain email is handled properly.

Step-by-step:

1. Changing your domain's DNS records:

1.1 As FTH say, you need to 'own' a domain already or have registered a new one. Owning here means a) you have the right to use the domain and b) you're able to change its DNS records. Getting a new domain is as easy as Googling 'domain names' and selecting a domain registrar - there are plenty of them! Your domain name can be chosen, paid for, set up and managed all online - all for a fairly low cost.

1.2 WARNING: If you've already using your domain for your existing club website and/or for the domain's email, make sure your new FTH 2.0 site is ready to go before making any DNS changes. Soon after you make the changes your previous website and any previous email services (including stored emails) will no longer be directly available. Your website and email will subsequently be handled by FTH 2.0. PS: it's a good idea to plan a definite time for the changes and let your fellow club members know beforehand what's happening and when.

1.3 You need to create or change four DNS records so they read as below - i.e. to point to the FTH 2.0 servers:

Record Type	Entry	IP Address/URL
A	www.<yourdomain>	50.19.253.65
A	<yourdomain>	50.19.253.65
A	mail.<yourdomain>	50.19.253.65
MX	10	mail.<yourdomain>

Almost all domain registrars or hosting providers have some kind of web-browser accessible control panel, where you can create or change DNS records quickly and easily. You'll need to familiarise yourself with how your particular control panel works before you start. (The FTH 2.0 FAQs have the generic DNS requirements as shown above, together with specific how-to guides for three domain registrars - support.toastmastersclubs.org/faq#moofaqCat-16.)

1.4 You'll normally be changing existing records, since almost all domain names will already have some/all of these records set up. Even a newly registered domain may have the www A record set up, to point at the registrar's holding web page.

1.5 Now you need to be patient … although you've just changed the records on the DNS server that holds the definitive ('authoritative' in DNS-speak) configuration of your domain, it can take many hours for the changes to be 'shared' around the Internet - in this case to reach the DNS servers FTH 2.0 uses; typically anything from 2 hours to 24 hours.

2 Changing your FTH 2.0 configuration:

2.1 Open the FTH 2.0 Admin Console. Enter your domain name (remember - without any prefix like 'www', just the domain name) in the Custom Website Domain box, the first box you see on the first admin page. Save the entry.

2.2 FTH 2.0 will then check if it is aware of your DNS changes yet. If not you'll get the error message that starts "This domain is not yet pointing to the IP address 50.19.253.65. …". Try saving your domain name again, after waiting a while (say 2 hours). And again … Eventually FTH 2.0 will recognise your DNS changes and you'll get the "Success! Information updated …" message.

2.3 Job done! Your domain is now using your FTH 2.0 hosted website and mail services.

Thank you Ian I have made a FAQ out of this.