Create vanity name servers with Godaddy (ns1, ns2) and use your custom DNS with external client domains

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Problem: I manage several client domains and I wanted a way to centrally manage their DNS while pointing their DNS records to my custom vanity name servers: ns1.curvve.net and ns2.curvve.net. This isn’t a straight forward solution that Godaddy offers, but it does work. WHOIS my domain and see for yourself.

At first, I tried signing up for Godaddy’s Premium DNS server. The service itself is really nice because it allows you to batch modify your DNS records. In order to use Godaddy’s premium DNS, the domains have to be pointed to Godaddy’s DNS Servers.

Godaddy’s Vanity DNS Failure

Godaddy also offers custom vanity DNS, but it only applies to the specific domain domain that has registered for the vanity domain. In short: If my domain has vanity name server (e.g., ns1.curvve.net), I can’t point another domains’s DNS records to my vanity name servers. Believe me, I tried. If you have a domain that is registered with Godaddy, and you try to add your custom vanity name servers to that domain, Godaddy will throw an error.

Vanity Name Server Workaround

My solution is actually fairly simple:

  1. Pick the domain that you want to use as your name server domain (in my case, curvve.net).
  2. Edit the DNS details of that domain in the DNS Manager.
  3. Create an A-record (Host) alias for each of the name servers you want to use, and point them to the correct IP address of the corresponding DNS servers.

GoDaddy Update for Premium DNS Users

Optional for use with Godaddy Premium DNS
Setting up custom DNS with Godaddy is now a bit easier, especially if you want to manage your DNS from Godaddy’s Premium DNS services.

  • In order to create your custom name server, go to the Premium DNS Manager, find the domain you want to use, and pressed the “advanced settings” link.
  • Click on the “Vanity Nameservers” tab.
  • Activate the vanity name servers.
  • Now, if you point any domain to those vanity name servers, GoDaddy will automatically recognize them and they will still appear in your DNS Manager.
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  • Fernando

    Hi there! I also hired Premium DNS service from GoDaddy but I am driving crazy to make things work correctly.

    I have some .COM.AR domains and .CL domains which are hosted as “Off-Site” on the Premium DNS Panel. I want all my domains to be able to point to my “Vanity Nameservers” without using the Vanity functionality of GoDaddy because it has some limitations.

    I am not sure I followed up correcly your instructions and so I have some doubts.

    I understand I shouldnt create the ns1 and ns2 records poiting to GoDaddy´s IPs. I´ve tried this and it doesnt works because GoDaddy nevr recognises the domain is hosted on the Premium DNS service.

    - For what you explain I should point ns1.mydomain.com and ns2.mydomain.com to pdns01 and pdns2 Godaddy name servers right?

    - After the previous step I dont understand what do you point to mediatemple.net name servers? Should I replace this for GoDaddy Premium DNS servers also? pdns01 and pdns02?

    - Should I register the NS1 and NS2.mydomain.com as NS records so I can use them as my DNS for all my and my customers DNS records? When I configure this I should point ns1 and ns2 to the IP´s of pdns01 and pdns02?

    Thank you very much for your tips!!!!

  • http://www.nightlion.net NightLion

    Hi. Go to your domain configuration in godaddy, and set the NS1 & NS2 subdomains to point to your destination DNS servers. My instructions may have been a bit confusing because I am still using Godaddy to manage my DNS. Most people won’t do that. For me, MediaTemple is my final destination. The setup is actually pretty easy. Just look at it this way:

    NS1.yourdomain.com -> NS1.yourHostDNS.com
    NS2.yourdomain.com -> NS2.yourHostDNS.com

  • Fernando

    Thanks for your quick answer, well, actually, I want to use GoDaddy´s Premium DNS Server for my primary DNS because they have multiple servers and as I am hosting on a VPS I dont want to have both DNS on the same machine.
    I will have ns3 to point directly to my VPS IP in case I need direct DNS from my VPS.
    I´ve tried creating ns1 and ns2 A records and point them to GoDaddy´s pdns01 and pdns02 IPs but when I add a domain which is already pointing to ns1.mydomain.com and ns2.mydomain.com GoDaddy doesnt recognizes it. :(
    Any ideas?

    Thanks a lot!

  • http://www.nightlion.net NightLion

    What do you mean when you say “Godaddy doesn’t recognize it”? What happens? Does the domain no longer work?

  • Fernando

    Sorry I am kind of dizzy already with this DNS thing :(

    You think I should be ok by:

    Adding NS1. and NS2. A Records to the domain I want to use as Vanity DNS and I will be able to point Off-Site domains to those DNS servers while hosting the DNS on GoDaddy Premium DNS Service?

    I already registered NS1. and NS2. as NS servers.

    Would that do it or I should do something else?

    Thanks!

  • http://www.nightlion.net NightLion

    Adding NS1 and NS2 to the A-records of the domain should do it. I am testing something out and will know for sure in the morning. I suspect that my original image (above) may be incorrect. I think you’re supposed to add NS1 and NS2 to the A-records (top row), instead of the C-Name records. I will update you tomorrow.

  • Fernando

    I found the issue I am facing with Google Premium DNS

    I pointed domain “example.net” which is registered in GoDaddy to my own ns1.mydomain and ns2.mydomain.com which are pointing to the GoDaddy´s IP´s corresponding to their pdns01 and pdns02.

    Now, I am kind of locked out, because GoDaddy wont let me admin the DNS records on the Domain Manager because it says “DNS Manager: Not hosted here” and it wont show me the domain neither on the GoDady Premium DNS Manager.

    I would like to point my own domains to ns1.mydomain.com and ns2.mydomain.com and still be able to manage the records through the Premium DNS panel.

    Any Ideas?

    Thanks a lot for your help!

    PS: Notify Follow-up is not working on your website ;)

  • http://www.nightlion.net NightLion

    This is exactly what I’m doing. It turns out that it is actually easier than I described in my article, so I will be going back to re-write the process.

    In order to setup your own custom DNS, go to the Premium DNS manager, find the domain you want, and press the advanced settings button. Go to the Vanity Nameservers tab, and switch it to ON.

    Once your nameservers are set up, you can forward your domains to that nameserver and still use the premium dns manager to manage your domains.

  • Fernando

    In order to do this, I would have to delete the ns1. and ns2. records I already created and that takes some time for GoDaddy to realize I´ve deleted them so Vanity Servers could get activated.

    The problem with Google Premium DNS is that you wont be able to make other GoDaddy users point their domains to your ns1. and ns2. if they are also in GoDaddy, is one of their limitations.
    Thats why also I will have to point my own domains to pdns01 and pdns02 from Godaddy unless I activate the Vanity DNS, but I guess is too late for me? As I already have some domains pointing to ns1 and ns2?