Add a second nameserver

Why it matters

Only one nameserver is listed for the domain, so if it is down or unreachable the website and email stop working for everyone. DNS rules ask for at least two servers on separate networks.

Staged change. Do this in stages and check each one before the next, so a mistake does not break your site or your mail.

The fix

1. If you use a DNS hosting provider, use all the nameservers it assigns to your zone. Most give at least two, so enter all of them at your registrar.
2. If you run your own nameserver, set up a second one on a different network or use a secondary DNS service. It receives the zone by zone transfer (the primary must allow it and send NOTIFY), or it can be hosted by a provider that does this for you.
3. Add the new nameserver at the registrar next to the existing one. Do not remove the existing one.
4. Wait for the change to be published and confirm with the command below that both servers answer for the domain with the same data.

dig NS example.com +short
# query each nameserver directly and compare the answers
# replace ns1.example.net with a nameserver from the delegation
dig @ns1.example.net SOA example.com +short
dig @ns2.example.net SOA example.com +short

The examples use example.com. Replace it with your own domain.

Read the documentation ↗(opens in a new tab)

Related

• Reported by the Nameservers and delegation check
• Delegate the domain to working nameservers
• Spread nameservers across more than one network
• Fix nameservers that do not answer for the domain
• Make unreachable nameservers answer, or remove them
• Give each nameserver name an IP address
• Point nameserver names at public IP addresses
• Point nameserver names at A or AAAA records, not CNAMEs
• Make the registrar's nameservers match the zone's NS records
• Make all nameservers publish the same NS records
• Add glue records for nameservers inside your own domain
• Update glue records to match the nameserver's real address
• Check that nameservers are in sync