Understanding Nameservers: Your Domain’s Address Book

The internet is a vast network, and navigating it requires a bit of behind-the-scenes magic. Nameservers play a crucial role in this, acting like an address book for websites. Let’s break down what they are and why they’re important, especially if you’re thinking about building a website.

What are Nameservers?

Imagine if every website had a long, complicated string of numbers as its address. Not very user-friendly, right? That’s where nameservers come in. These are specialised computers that translate easy-to-remember domain names (like websitehelper.co.uk) into those number addresses (called IP addresses) that computers understand.

Think of it like this: you tell your friend you’re going to “125 Main Street,” but their satnav needs the postcode. The nameserver is like a directory that looks up “125 Main Street” and gives you the postcode to get there.

Why are Nameservers Important for Website Hosting?

When you buy a domain name and choose a hosting company to store your website’s files, you need to connect the two. This is where nameservers come in again. You tell your domain registrar (the company you bought the domain name from) to use the nameservers provided by your hosting company. These nameservers then point visitors to the correct location of your website’s files.

Popular Hosting Company Nameservers

Many hosting companies offer their own nameservers that you can use with your domain. You’ll usually find these nameservers when you sign up for your hosting plan. Here are some examples:

Godaddy and Reg123 nameservers are assigned dynamically depending on the hosting service, nsXX are placeholders and are not to be used.

  • Bluehost:
    • Nameserver 1: ns1.bluehost.com
    • Nameserver 2: ns2.bluehost.com
  • GoDaddy:
    • Nameserver 1: nsXX.domaincontrol.com
    • Nameserver 2: nsXX.domaincontrol.com
  • 123Reg:
    • Nameserver 1: nsXX.domaincontrol.com
    • Nameserver 2: nsXX.domaincontrol.com
  • SiteGround:
    • Nameserver 1: ns1.siteground.net
    • Nameserver 2: ns2.siteground.net
  • DreamHost:
    • Nameserver 1: ns1.dreamhost.com
    • Nameserver 2: ns2.dreamhost.com
    • Nameserver 3: ns3.dreamhost.com
  • 20i:
    • Nameserver 1: ns1.stackdns.com
    • Nameserver 2: ns2.stackdns.com
    • Nameserver 3: ns3.stackdns.com
    • Nameserver 4: ns4.stackdns.com
  • Krystal:
    • Nameserver 1: ns1.krystal.uk
    • Nameserver 2: ns1.krystal.uk
  • Guru:
    • Nameserver 1: ns1.guru.net.uk
    • Nameserver 2: ns2.guru.net.uk
  • Stablepoint:
    • Nameserver 1: ns1.stablepoint.com
    • Nameserver 2: ns2.stablepoint.com
    • Nameserver 3: ns3.stablepoint.com
    • Nameserver 4: ns4.stablepoint.com
  • Clook:
    • Nameserver 1: ns1.clook.net
    • Nameserver 2: ns2.clook.net
  • Namecheap:
    • Nameserver 1: dns1.namecheaphosting.com
    • Nameserver 2: dns2.namecheaphosting.com
  • Fasthosts:
    • Nameserver 1: ns1.livedns.co.uk
    • Nameserver 2: ns2.livedns.co.uk
  • Hostinger:
    • Nameserver 1: ns1.dns-parking.com
    • Nameserver 2: ns2.dns-parking.com
  • Ionos:
    • Nameserver 1: ns1045.ui-dns.org
    • Nameserver 2: ns1045.ui-dns.de
    • Nameserver 3: ns1045.ui-dns.biz
    • Nameserver 4: ns1045.ui-dns.com

How to Change Your Nameservers

If you’ve bought a domain name and want to connect it to your hosting, you’ll need to change the nameservers in your domain registrar account. The specific steps might vary slightly depending on the registrar, but it’s generally a straightforward process. Here’s a basic idea:

  1. Log in to your domain registrar account.
  2. Find the section for managing DNS settings or nameservers.
  3. Update the existing nameservers with the ones provided by your hosting company.
  4. Save the changes.

Keep in mind: It can take a while (usually a few minutes to 48 hours) for these changes to take effect across the internet. So be patient, and eventually, everyone will be directed to your new website!

Common Nameserver Problems

While nameservers work tirelessly in the background, occasional issues can arise:

  • Incorrect Configuration: Mistakes during setup can prevent users from finding your website.
  • Propagation Delays: After changing nameservers, it can take some time (usually a few hours to 48 hours) for the update to reflect globally.
  • Nameserver Outages: In rare cases, a nameserver might experience downtime, temporarily affecting website accessibility.

Need Help? If you’re facing difficulties with nameservers or DNS issues, and troubleshooting isn’t resolving the problem, don’t hesitate to contact us for assistance. Alternatively, you can reach out to your website hosting provider’s support team for further guidance.

Article written by

Last updated