Create Private Nameservers with Google Domains

As a website owner, it’s crucial to have control over your domain’s DNS settings. Fortunately, using private nameservers can help you gain more control and customization options. With private nameservers, you can use your own domain name in place of your web host’s or registrar’s nameservers. This provides several benefits, including improved branding, simplified DNS management, and greater control over your website’s DNS settings. Furthermore, private nameservers can enhance your website’s security by allowing you to rely on your own DNS infrastructure, which reduces the risk of DNS attacks and hijacking attempts.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss the steps to create private nameservers with Google Domains, a popular domain registrar and DNS provider. We’ll explore the benefits of using private nameservers, including how they can help to improve your website’s branding and security. Additionally, we’ll cover the essential steps to create private nameservers with Google Domains, including verifying your domain and updating your DNS settings. By the end of this blog post, you’ll have a better understanding of how private nameservers can benefit your website and how to set them up with Google Domains.

Setting up a Google Cloud DNS Account

To set up private nameservers with Google Domains, you first need to create a Google Cloud DNS account. Google Cloud DNS is a secure, scalable, and reliable managed DNS service that provides authoritative DNS serving for your domain names. To create a Google Cloud DNS account, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Google Cloud Console at console.cloud.google.com.
2. If you don’t have a Google Cloud account, sign up for a free trial.
3. Either initiate a new project or opt for a pre-existing one.
4. Enable billing for your project (Google Cloud DNS charges based on usage, but offers a free tier).
5. To activate the Google Cloud DNS API for your project, you need to enable it.

Creating a Google Cloud DNS account is an essential step in setting up private nameservers with Google Domains. With Google Cloud DNS, you can manage your DNS records with ease, and enjoy the benefits of a reliable and secure managed DNS service. By following the above steps, you’ll be well on your way to creating private nameservers for your domain name.

Creating Custom DNS Records

To proceed with creating private nameservers with Google Domains, you need to create custom DNS records in Google Cloud DNS. Custom DNS records allow you to specify the IP addresses of your private nameservers. Here’s how to create custom DNS records:

1. In the Google Cloud Console, select your project and navigate to the Cloud DNS section.

2. To add your domain name, click the “Create Zone” button and fill in the necessary information.
3. Select “Private Zone” and enter your desired zone name.
4. Click “Create”.
5. Once your zone is created, click on “Add Record Set”.
6. Select the record type you want to create (A, AAAA, or CNAME) and enter the record details (such as the IP address for an A record).
7. Click “Create”.

Creating Private Nameservers

Registered Hosts, also known as custom nameservers, allow you to create unique nameservers for your domain. In this section, we’ll show you how to create a Registered Host in Google Domains.

Step 1: To access the domain you want to use, go to your Google Domains landing page and click on the “Manage” button next to it.

Step 2: Click the “DNS” link along the left side of the page. This will open up the various DNS options that can be modified for your domain.

Step 3: Navigate to the “Registered Hosts” section by scrolling down the page.  Here, you can enter the prefix you want your domain name to resolve to and the IP address you want the nameserver to point to. Once you have entered this information, click “Add” to finish creating the record.

Step 4: You will now see the newly created Registered Host listed below the data entry boxes. If you want to create additional nameservers, follow step 3 again. Usually, two nameservers are adequate for most registrars.

It’s important to note that, as with all DNS-related changes, global propagation can take up to 24 hours to finish. Once the propagation is complete, you can use your custom nameservers with your domain.

Verifying Nameserver Configuration

To ensure that your private nameservers are set up correctly, you need to verify their configuration. This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the DNS propagation time. Here are the steps to verify your nameserver configuration:

1. In the Google Cloud Console, navigate to the Cloud DNS section and select your project.

2. Choose your zone and click “Test DNS.”
3. Enter the name of your private nameserver (for example, ns1.yourdomain.com) in the query box and click “Resolve.”
4. Check the IP address displayed. If it matches the value you entered when creating the custom DNS records earlier, then your private nameserver has been set up correctly.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for your second private nameserver to verify its configuration.

Once you have verified your private nameservers’ configuration, you can move on to updating your domain’s DNS settings to use them. Remember to allow enough time for DNS propagation to occur before testing your new private nameservers.

Updating Domain DNS Settings

Now that we have confirmed that our private nameservers are correctly set up, we can proceed with updating our domain’s DNS settings. Here are the steps to update your domain’s DNS settings with your new private nameservers:

1. Go to your Google Domains account and navigate to the DNS section for your domain.
2. Click on “Use custom name servers”.
3. Enter the names of your private nameservers (such as ns1.yourdomain.com and ns2.yourdomain.com).
4. Save your changes.

It’s essential to keep in mind that DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally. During this time, some users may still be directed to your old DNS servers. To ensure that your domain resolves to your new private nameservers, use online DNS checking tools.

Benefits of Using Private Nameservers with Google Domains

After successfully creating private nameservers with Google Domains, there are several benefits to using them that are worth noting:

1. Improved branding: Using your own domain name as your nameservers enhances your brand’s credibility and professionalism.

2. Simplified DNS management: With private nameservers, you can easily manage all of your DNS settings from a single location, rather than having to maintain them separately with your hosting provider or domain registrar.

3. Greater DNS control: Private nameservers give you more control over your website’s DNS settings, such as creating custom DNS records and adjusting TTL settings. This level of control can help you optimize your website’s performance and security.

Conclusion

Private nameservers are a useful feature for website owners seeking more control over their domain’s DNS settings. With Google Domains, creating private nameservers can be accomplished with ease, requiring only a few steps. Utilizing private nameservers can enhance your branding, streamline your DNS management, and provide you with greater control over your website’s DNS settings.