Which is best way of hosting?

[UKSBD]

99% of sites I look after are using the same nameservers that the host provides

One site has namservers at Host A but is hosted at Host B

Is it better to have the nameservers set to the actual host the site is using or doesn't it really make any difference?

 

[ctrlbrk]

99% of sites I look after are using the same nameservers that the host provides

Just to clarify: do you mean, e.g. mydomain.co.uk name owned at Namecheap and hosted at Namecheap too?

 

[UKSBD]

Just to clarify: do you mean, e.g. mydomain.co.uk name owned at Namecheap and hosted at Namecheap too?

No

mydomain.co.uk registered at namecheap, using namecheap nameservers but hosted with Host B

 

[fisicx]

So Namecheap are just redirecting to the actual host.

Which seems a little strange.

I change the nameservers at the registrar to those of the actual host.

 

[Ozzy]

I don't believe it actually matters so much. The hosting and the DNS hosting will be as good as each other, provider dependent.

We register our domain names through a cheap domain registration service.
We host the DNS on either Google DNS or AWS, and we run our own server (VPS) on those providers, but we could have the DNS on Google DNS servers and the site hosted on AWS - just depends on the tech stack we need for the service. For UKBF the domains are managed the DNS on Cloudflare for example.

 

[KM-Tiger]

I don't believe it actually matters so much.

Correct, it doesn't matter

Exception would be if the nameservers you are using are known to be slow and/or clunky.

 

[Shopclicks]

Is it better to have the nameservers set to the actual host the site is using or doesn't it really make any difference?

One of my clients have their domains registered with Vodafone. Vodafone don't use nameservers at all. They use an A Record instead.

 

[Ozzy]

Vodafone don't use nameservers at all. They use an A Record instead.

Morbid curiosity wants to know more about this...

 

[Shopclicks]

Morbid curiosity wants to know more about this...

All they need is the server IP address. They use my hosting and simply create the A Record at their end.
I'm not sure why they do it or if it's more secure (the client is local government).

 

[KM-Tiger]

Vodafone don't use nameservers at all. They use an A Record instead.

They must have nameservers or DNS simply would not work.

Do a WHOIS lookup on your client's domain and you should see the nameservers.

 

[Shopclicks]

Do a WHOIS lookup on your client's domain and you should see the nameservers.

Sorry, yes the nameservers are their own. What I meant was they don't use my hosting nameservers.

 

[UKSBD]

Sorry, yes the nameservers are their own. What I meant was they don't use my hosting nameservers.

Yes, that's basically how the one I am looking is set up

One hosts nameservers, but another hosts IP as the A record

Never had a problem with it, but it just seems a strange way of doing things.

 

[Ozzy]

Never had a problem with it, but it just seems a strange way of doing things.

For your basic every day website hosting, perhaps, but if someone want's an element of control over the DNS records it makes sense to split them up.
We need to create many custom DNS records for anything from email to backend systems. So custom TXT, AAAA, A, etc, records aren't easy to set and control expiry times with a typic web host.

 

[fisicx]

So custom TXT, AAAA, A, etc, records aren't easy to set and control expiry times with a typic web host.

Really easy to set up in cPanel:

Zone Editor | cPanel & WHM Documentation

This feature allows you to create, edit, and delete Domain Name System (DNS) zone records.

docs.cpanel.net

 

[KM-Tiger]

but it just seems a strange way of doing things.

Not strange at all.

DNS works because the root servers know where the nameservers for a particular domain are located, and can thus be queried to answer lookups.

It doesn't matter at all where nameservers are physically or in what part of the internet address space.

 

[Kerwin]

Not strange at all.

DNS works because the root servers know where the nameservers for a particular domain are located, and can thus be queried to answer lookups.

It doesn't matter at all where nameservers are physically or in what part of the internet address space.

Not entirely true. You want the DNS servers nearest the website visitor to speed up the query process. This is known as anycast routing and is what big DNS providers like Amazon, Google and Cloudflare offer which often make them much better than the DNS servers provided by small to medium hosting companies.

 

[UKSBD]

Not strange at all.

DNS works because the root servers know where the nameservers for a particular domain are located, and can thus be queried to answer lookups.

It doesn't matter at all where nameservers are physically or in what part of the internet address space.

Strange, as it means they are paying for 2 hosting packages.

Emails are still going via host 1, website is built on host 2

 

[Small Business Ltd]

99% of sites I look after are using the same nameservers that the host provides

One site has namservers at Host A but is hosted at Host B

Is it better to have the nameservers set to the actual host the site is using or doesn't it really make any difference?

Assuming you’re talking about pointing the NameServers to you / your reseller supplier, rather than the client’s current reseller, my views are that realistically, you’re talking about a split second delay in regards to DNS and the internet. Even if your using a Cloudflare environment (Which comes with pros and cons). My views (25+ years experience), are that it does not really matter if the name sits at one reseller and a nameserver forwading solution is in another place. It is not something I would be or am concerned about, with websites I provide. I host, manage and maintain a number of websites that point to different providers / resellers (Different supplier / reseller = me) as a result of my clients wanting to keep control of the Domain Name with their preferred reseller or for email (2FA) reasons. In some cases (Where 2FA is not required), it may cost them a small fee (Around £10 to £20 per year), as a result of not letting me provide the Domain Name as well, but it obviously makes my clients feel more in control in this area, if they renew their Domain Name and keep control in this area with a reseller they are familiar with.

Comment reference "it means they are paying for 2 hosting packages.". Correct (Depending on what they are paying for - DNS NameSever Forwarders are often free, depending on the reseller being used, so all the client should be paying for is the Domain name and renewal). Most resellers I use, allow you to buy the Domain Name only and add the website NameServer forwarding solution free of charge. If you actually need a hosting package that's a different matter. If your providing a hosting package, your clients should not need one, as you only need a DNS NameServer forwarding solution in place.

There are pros and cons in this area, depending on the reseller being used. I for one can't offer 2FA for email. However, some resellers can offer Office 365 (which comes with 2FA), so I would propose 2FA (for email) to stay with their current reseller and I host the website via a DNS Nameserver update. Yes it's slightly more expensive to host two packages for the client, but worth the cost for the additional 2FA security for email (If required, in my opinion).

I also prefer to manage the clients Domain Name to filter any spam they may receive in regards to phishing (Normally daft SEO renewal emails). I ask my client if I can update my email address at Nominet (UK Domain Names) and leave all the other contact details at Nominet as theirs.

If it's only website data, I find at the moment NameCheap are great and buy a number of my Domain Names here and then add the DNS NameServer forwarders to my preferred reseller (I use CloudNext). If my client asks about anything in this area, I try to explain all this to them and identify myself as a sub-reseller to my clients.

Pecking order I explain - Nominet (For UK Domain Names – Verisgn for US) then example Go Daddy as the prime reseller or for example 123 or (for me) CloudNext or NameCheap, & I then identify myself as a Sub Reseller (using CloudNext services), then the Client.

All the best.........

 

[DontAsk]

big DNS providers like Amazon, Google and Cloudflare offer which often make them much better than the DNS servers provided by small to medium hosting companies.

Whenever there has been a major outage for my domestic broadband, it's always been the ISPs DNS server at issue. Happened two days ago with Plusnet. Switch to Google DNS and service was instantly (almost - needed a router reboot) restored. Changing the default DNS was somethign I forgot to do when I switched to Plusnet.