What DNS provider should I use?

Cloudflare is recommended for most businesses: it is free, extremely fast, includes DDoS protection, and is easy to manage. If you use AWS heavily, Route 53 integrates seamlessly. Your domain registrar DNS works but is typically slower and less feature-rich. Choose a provider with Australian points of presence for faster resolution.

What DNS records do I need?

At minimum: A record pointing your domain to your server IP, CNAME for www subdomain, MX records for email routing, and TXT records for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC (email authentication). If using a CDN, CNAME or proxy records as directed by the CDN provider. Additional records for subdomains as needed.

How do DNS changes propagate?

DNS changes propagate based on TTL (Time to Live) settings. With a low TTL (300 seconds), changes propagate within 5-10 minutes. With default TTLs (3600-86400 seconds), changes can take 1-24 hours to fully propagate globally. Before making changes, lower TTL in advance, then change records, then restore normal TTL.

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Domain Name System (DNS)

Domain Name System

Also known as:domain name systemname resolutionDNS service

The system that translates human-readable domain names (like example.com.au) into IP addresses that computers use to identify and communicate with each other on the internet.

In-Depth Explanation

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the internet's directory service, translating domain names that humans can read (like cleverops.com.au) into numerical IP addresses (like 13.55.123.45) that computers use to locate each other. DNS is essential to virtually everything on the internet.

How DNS works:

User types a domain name in their browser
Browser checks local DNS cache
If not cached, query goes to a DNS resolver (usually ISP's)
Resolver queries root DNS servers, then TLD servers, then authoritative nameservers
Authoritative nameserver returns the IP address
Browser connects to the IP address and loads the website
Result is cached for future lookups

DNS record types:

A record: Maps domain to IPv4 address
AAAA record: Maps domain to IPv6 address
CNAME: Alias pointing one domain to another
MX record: Mail server routing
TXT record: Verification and configuration (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
NS record: Authoritative nameservers for the domain
SOA record: Start of Authority with administrative information

DNS providers:

Cloudflare DNS: Fast, free, with DDoS protection
AWS Route 53: Integrated with AWS, highly available
Google Cloud DNS: Global network, low latency
Azure DNS: Integrated with Azure services
Domain registrar DNS: GoDaddy, Namecheap, VentraIP (Australia)

DNS security:

DNSSEC: Validates DNS responses to prevent spoofing
DNS over HTTPS (DoH): Encrypts DNS queries
DNS over TLS (DoT): Alternative encryption for DNS
DDoS protection: Defending DNS infrastructure from attacks

DNS best practices:

Use a reliable DNS provider with global infrastructure
Implement low TTLs during migrations for quick changes
Set up proper MX records for email delivery
Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC TXT records for email security
Monitor DNS for unauthorised changes

Business Context

DNS outages make websites completely inaccessible regardless of server health. Using a reliable DNS provider with global infrastructure is a low-cost, high-impact way to improve website availability and performance.

How Clever Ops Uses This

Clever Ops manages DNS configuration for Australian businesses, ensuring fast resolution, high availability, and proper security. We configure DNS records for websites, email, and cloud services, implement DNSSEC for security, and optimise DNS for performance using providers like Cloudflare and AWS Route 53.

Example Use Case

"An Australian business migrates DNS from their domain registrar to Cloudflare, gaining 30% faster DNS resolution for Australian users, built-in DDoS protection, and easy management of records for their website, email, and subdomains."