Re: [CODE4LIB] How to configure subdomain hosting without domain hosting?
All the responses here were helpful! Based on responses, and doing this with a domain name I have registered with GoDaddy, I believe that the way to point a subdomain (and only a subdomain) at a cheapie hosted account is to make an NS record for each of the host's name servers to point the subdomain at the nameservers. (If you notice I'm wrong, then please correct me.) In case anyone else wants to file it for later use, I included step-by-step instructions for doing this when the URL is registered with and DNS is hosted on GoDaddy. If the DNS is done a different way, then you would look up how to make an NS record for that DNS. -Wilhelmina Randtke Step-by-step directions on setting a subdomain in GoDaddy to point to a cheapie hosting company. You will change the parts that are underlined to your own information. Log into GoDaddy To Access the Zone File Editor Click "My Account" in the top left corner. Next to Domain, click the green Launch button. From the Tools menu along the top of the screen, select DNS Manager Click Edit Zone for the domain name Scroll down to NS (nameserver) Click "Quick Add" For host, type the (*subdomain - not the full url, just the part before the first period; ie. lib*) For points to, type (*URL of first name server for cheapie hosting company*) Click "Quick Add" For host, type the (*subdomain - not the full url, just the part before the first period; ie. lib*) For points to, type (*URL of second name server for cheapie hosting company*) Click "Quick Add" For host, type the (*subdomain - not the full url, just the part before the first period; ie. lib*) For points to, type (*URL of third name server for cheapie hosting company*) On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 11:50 AM, Wilhelmina Randtke wrote: > I'm trying to get a subdomain of my university's domain pointed at content > on a cheapie hosting account. To do this, I can get main campus to put in > a CNAME record with the IP address matching where the DNS for my cheapie > hosting account is currently located in the cheapie hosting company's > system. The problem is, this IP will periodically change, meaning main > campus IT will have to be involved periodically down the line in order to > cut and paste the new IP into their system, and meaning that the hosted > services could go unavailable for a few days when this happens. > > The main campus uses GoDaddy's DNS which is set in stone, and the cheapie > hosting in question is Dreamhost but any other cheapie service would do. > > Am I doing this the hard way? *How would you go about getting a > subdomain of your university's URL to point at your cheapie webhosting > account? * > > Subdomain forwarding with masking then storing content at a random URL > but having it appear to be on the university's subdomain does not work, > because this causes problems responding to XML queries. > I am able to run a server in my office or the building with a static IP, > but I don't want content to live on an in-house server. Could I use this > to catch things coming to the IP, then redirect to the cheapie hosting > account? > Is there a way to go from GoDaddy's DNS management system to point at > the nameservers for the cheapie hosting company, the same way you would do > to host a domain? > > -Wilhelmina Randtke >
Re: [CODE4LIB] How to configure subdomain hosting without domain hosting?
I wonder what you want to accomplish with an off-site housed subdomain. Are you not allowed to establish this within your university's own system? I operate a server that is apart from my university's system because there were objections concerning the extra load on the university server system. I was also concerned because the university system slows down or goes down completely. I also wanted better control of the server than I could have with a university-maintained server. If you select a "cheapie" service your website will inherit all of the potential problems with your university's system on top of the problems with a cheapie server. Have you considered having your own domain name? I'm not convinced that using a university subdomain will increase your credibility over your own dot org domain name. Although I'm not certain, I suspect that you will have better information about site traffic with your own domain. Please tell us why you want a sub-domain of your university domain and a little more about the kind of site you have planned. What traffic load do you anticipate? If you elect to have your own domain name, be sure that you buy the domain name from a company that actually sells you the domain name and _not_ a hosting company that gives you a package whereby the host owns your domain name and leases it to you along with your hosting plan. That could make it impossible for you to move to another company. Be careful. I started out making many mistakes. It wasn't so important when my site received a few hundred visitors a day. Having a portable domain name and the right hosting company became essential when we started receiving several hundred thousand visits a day. My site is a bibliographic database. David David W. Lawrence, PhD, MPH, Director Center for Injury Prevention Policy and Practice San Diego State University, School of Public Health 6475 Alvarado Road, Suite 105 San Diego, CA 92120 usadavid.lawre...@sdsu.edu V 619 594 1994 F 619 594 1995 Skype: DWL-SDCAwww.CIPPP.org -- www.SafetyLit.org On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 10:16 AM, Thomas Krichel wrote: > Wilhelmina Randtke writes > > > I'm trying to get a subdomain of my university's domain pointed at > content > > on a cheapie hosting account. To do this, I can get main campus to put > in > > a CNAME record with the IP address matching where the DNS for my cheapie > > hosting account is currently located in the cheapie hosting company's > > system. The problem is, this IP will periodically change, meaning main > > campus IT will have to be involved periodically down the line in order to > > cut and paste the new IP into their system, and meaning that the hosted > > services could go unavailable for a few days when this happens. > > I am probably something missing here, as my experience is with root > servers rather than web hosting. But I do know a bit about DNS. My > expernienc suggests that once you have a CNAME, in BIND notation > > foo IN CNAME bar > > the name foo is replaced by name bar. There is no IP address involved. > If bar changes changes IP address, the IP address of foo also changes. > In fact, all record types attached to bar carry over to foo. So you > can't say > > foo IN CNAME bar > foo IN NS widget > > as the NS (nameserver) for foo is the same as the NS for bar, not > widget. > > > Am I doing this the hard way? > > You have not told us what you do. > > > *How would you go about getting a subdomain > > of your university's URL to point at your cheapie webhosting account? * > > If your webhoster gives you a URL at > > http://randtke.webhoster.com > > your uni DNS can just say > > randtke IN CNAME randtke.webhoster.com. > > > Subdomain forwarding with masking then storing content at a random URL > but > > having it appear to be on the university's subdomain does not work, > because > > this causes problems responding to XML queries. > > I don't understand that approach, so I suspect my answer is off > the mark but it may still be helpful. > > > Cheers, > > Thomas Krichelhttp://openlib.org/home/krichel > http://authorprofile.org/pkr1 >skype: thomaskrichel >
Re: [CODE4LIB] How to configure subdomain hosting without domain hosting?
Wilhelmina Randtke writes > I'm trying to get a subdomain of my university's domain pointed at content > on a cheapie hosting account. To do this, I can get main campus to put in > a CNAME record with the IP address matching where the DNS for my cheapie > hosting account is currently located in the cheapie hosting company's > system. The problem is, this IP will periodically change, meaning main > campus IT will have to be involved periodically down the line in order to > cut and paste the new IP into their system, and meaning that the hosted > services could go unavailable for a few days when this happens. I am probably something missing here, as my experience is with root servers rather than web hosting. But I do know a bit about DNS. My expernienc suggests that once you have a CNAME, in BIND notation foo IN CNAME bar the name foo is replaced by name bar. There is no IP address involved. If bar changes changes IP address, the IP address of foo also changes. In fact, all record types attached to bar carry over to foo. So you can't say foo IN CNAME bar foo IN NS widget as the NS (nameserver) for foo is the same as the NS for bar, not widget. > Am I doing this the hard way? You have not told us what you do. > *How would you go about getting a subdomain > of your university's URL to point at your cheapie webhosting account? * If your webhoster gives you a URL at http://randtke.webhoster.com your uni DNS can just say randtke IN CNAME randtke.webhoster.com. > Subdomain forwarding with masking then storing content at a random URL but > having it appear to be on the university's subdomain does not work, because > this causes problems responding to XML queries. I don't understand that approach, so I suspect my answer is off the mark but it may still be helpful. Cheers, Thomas Krichelhttp://openlib.org/home/krichel http://authorprofile.org/pkr1 skype: thomaskrichel
[CODE4LIB] How to configure subdomain hosting without domain hosting?
I'm trying to get a subdomain of my university's domain pointed at content on a cheapie hosting account. To do this, I can get main campus to put in a CNAME record with the IP address matching where the DNS for my cheapie hosting account is currently located in the cheapie hosting company's system. The problem is, this IP will periodically change, meaning main campus IT will have to be involved periodically down the line in order to cut and paste the new IP into their system, and meaning that the hosted services could go unavailable for a few days when this happens. The main campus uses GoDaddy's DNS which is set in stone, and the cheapie hosting in question is Dreamhost but any other cheapie service would do. Am I doing this the hard way? *How would you go about getting a subdomain of your university's URL to point at your cheapie webhosting account? * Subdomain forwarding with masking then storing content at a random URL but having it appear to be on the university's subdomain does not work, because this causes problems responding to XML queries. I am able to run a server in my office or the building with a static IP, but I don't want content to live on an in-house server. Could I use this to catch things coming to the IP, then redirect to the cheapie hosting account? Is there a way to go from GoDaddy's DNS management system to point at the nameservers for the cheapie hosting company, the same way you would do to host a domain? -Wilhelmina Randtke
