Tag: DNS record

List of the basic DNS record types

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Dо you want to learn more about the different records? If yes, you are in the right place. Here you can find the list of the most popular DNS record types.

1. SOA record

The Start Of Authority record, or SOA record for short, is the first on our list. It is the one that must be comprehended. Why? It represents the beginning of the Authoritative DNS zone. This DNS record contains a wealth of data for the DNS zone. If you want your network to run smoothly and without errors, you’ll need this DNS record. It sends all requests to the principal DNS server. In addition, the SOA record contains the information and contact information for the DNS administrator. A variety of parameters, such as the domain serial number, are also included. It’s worth noting that each DNS zone should have just one SOA record.

How many DNS record types are there?

2. А record

Any DNS list must include the A DNS record. It’s perhaps the most well-known record format. The A record is used to direct or point a hostname to its IP address. When talking about A record, the address is IPv4 (32-bit) (32-bit). A newer AAAA record type supports IPv6 addresses (128-bit) (128-bit).

As a result, your site’s A record will include the host (extranewspapers.co.uk), as well as the host’s location (89.32.146.196), type (A), and TTL (time to live). It’s the most often utilized DNS record.

3. PTR record

The PTR record is another crucial type, often known as a Pointer record. It is used for backchecks and performs the reverse of the A record. It connects a hostname to an IP address (IPv4 or IPv6). It’s required because the rest of the servers in the globe may request proof that an IP address corresponds to a hostname before accepting a service, communicating, or taking any other action. As a result, it is frequently utilized in the authentication of the host.

4. CNAME record

The CNAME record essentially displays the real domain name (canonical) for the domain or subdomain you’re looking for. This DNS record type is significant because it can be used for all your subdomains. They point to your domain name by adding a CNAME record for each of them. Additionally, you also don’t need to add any additional DNS records to your subdomains.

5. TXT record

We can’t omit the TXT (Abridged from text) DNS record. It is incredibly adaptable. It provides information to sources outside the domain in text format. The SPF record is a type of TXT record. It is used by mail servers to determine whether a message is trustworthy and from the correct domain.

TXT records could be used for various types of verification and authentication. For example, increasing trust in your domain and emails is critical for your online reputation.

6. CAA record

The DNS administrator of a domain uses the Certification Authority Authorization record, or CAA record, to add and establish which Certificate Authorities (CAs) can publish SSL or TLS certificates for the domain.

The domain owner benefits from the CAA record since it gives them control over issuing certificates. Furthermore, the number of incorrectly issued certificates for that domain will be minimized. You can utilize the CAA record for your entire domain or only part of the subdomains. It all relies on your particular preferences and the setup you choose.

Conclusion 

Let’s review. You are now familiar with one of the most popular DNS record types. They are as follows: SOA, A, PTR, CNAME, TXT, and CAA records. So, it’s now your turn to make them real in your Domain Name System. Good luck!

CNAME record explained

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The CNAME record is one of the first DNS records that you will read about when you are starting with DNS management. It has a very important task to do, showing the true domain name for the subdomains, making it really an essential DNS record. It saves time and makes it easier to manage the DNS.

CNAME explained completely

There are two parts in the CNAME’s name. C stands for canonical, and it wants to show which is the true domain name for the one that you are trying to resolve. The NAME is obvious. It stands for name, as in hostname.

What is the difference between DNAME record and CNAME record?

The purpose of the CNAME record is to point one hostname to another. You can point different subdomains to the domain name. That way, you don’t need to add any other records for the subdomain because it will automatically redirect to the domain name.

If you have just a single DNS record for each subdomain, you will have far fewer DNS records, and the administration of your domain will be a lot easier.

CNAME records can be used to point:

www.domain.com to domain.com

blog.domain.com to domain.com

mail.domain.com to domain.com

newyork.domain.com to domain.com

Because of the way the CNAME record works, if the host (subdomain) already has other DNS records like A, MX, etc., you can’t create a CNAME record. And if you first create a CNAME record in the zone, you can’t create any other type of record in that zone.

Inside a CNAME record, you will see:

Host – the name of the subdomain that you want to point to the main domain name.

Type – CNAME.

Points to – the domain name. All of the CNAME records will point to this one.

TTL – time to live for that DNS record.

How to lookup a CNAME record?

If you are on Windows, the easiest and the safest way to check a CNAME record is to use the nslookup command. Go to the cmd (Command Prompt). Type “nslookup”, and press Enter. Now type “set type=cname”, and press Enter. The last pass is to write down the hostname, which you want to check. See this example, “mail.bing.com” and you will see the canonical name “star-bing-com.a-0001.a-msedge.net”.

If you are using Linux, go for the dig command. Open the Terminal and type “dig cname mail.bing.com,” and you will see the same “star-bing-com.a-0001.a-msedge.net” plus additional information. Dig command has very rich answers.

CNAME vs ALIAS

There is a newer type of DNS record called ALIAS that also points one hostname to another. It can do almost all that the CNAME can, but it can coexist with other records and can be added to the apex zone.

CNAME vs A record

The CNAME and the A records are very different. CNAME point one hostname to another while the A record points the domain name to an IP address. Also, if you want to resolve a domain, and first you get a CNAME, then you will need the A record too. So, the CNAME will take 2 queries instead of 1.

If you are interested in DNS records, check our article about the DNS CAA record!

CAA record explained

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CAA record is a DNS record that shows who can be the Certification Authority for a particular domain and issue certificates.

What is Certificate Authority (CA)?

The CA is the entity that has the right to issue certificates like SSL certificates or TLS certificates. You can easily identify the CA, based on their name and their certificate revocation list (CRL). The Certificate Authority must provide a public key or a certificate from their CA if it is subordinate.

What is the CAA record?

The CAA record (Certification Authority Authorization) is a DNS record that a domain name owner can use to specify the certificate authority which can issue for their domain name. Inside the CAA, the domain owner can adjust the settings that cover the whole domain or just particular subdomains.

If you manage the CAA on a domain level, it will automatically apply on the subdomain level, too, unless you set it inside the record.

The CAA work with both wildcard certificates and single-name certificates. Separate and together too.

Why do you need to use DNS CAA record?

What’s inside the CAA DNS record?

You have several fields inside that needs to define each of the important values:

  • Type: CAA – the DNS type.
  • TTL: Time in hours – the TTL value for the DNS record.
  • Host: Hostname – for which the certificate is valid
  • Flag: 0/182 – Issuer critical value. 0 means not critical, and 128 means critical.
  • Type: issue/issuewild/iodef – issue means that the CA can issue any type of certificate; issuewild means wildcard certificate; iodef is incident description exchange format.
  • Value: The value that you receive from the CA you chose.

Why does CAA exist?

It is always good to have control. Having CAA defines who can issue certificates for your domains and limit abuse chances.

If you don’t have a CAA record, everybody can generate a certificate for your domain name and sign it with one of the CAs.

The CAA record and the CNAME record

In normal conditions, the CA will be searching directly for the CAA record for your domain. But what if we are talking about a subdomain and CNAME records pointing to the canonical name?

There is no problem. The CA will check if there is a CAA record for the subdomain, and if there is no such record, it will search for the CNAME record. If it finds it, it will check the CAA record for the domain, and it will issue a certificate for the subdomain too.

In case the CA does not find a CAA record, it can’t issue a certificate for the domain, and it won’t do it.

How to check a CAA record?

You can’t use the popular tools like nslookup, dig, or host commands. You will need to search for a “DNS CAA lookup” too online. There are many, so try to find a legit site for your DNS lookup. We tried https://gf.dev/, and it was successfully showing our CAA records.

Conclusion

Adding a CAA record is easy, will limit the chances for abuse, and won’t affect your DNS service’s performance, so it is better to have it.

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