creating a backup email system

[jhs]

Originally posted by bbrener

(Before anyone suggests using Fastmail to host the domain, I need URL forwarding which Fastmail does not provide and I do not trust fastmail reliability anyway).

I don't see the problem of using FastMail as mail server and url forwarding of ZoneEdit. For FastMail to handle your mail it is not necessary to let FastMail host your DNS. You leave then DNS hosting at ZoneEdit, point the MX to FastMail, and use the url forwarding of ZoneEdit.

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Jan

[jhs]

There have been some discussions in this thread about using e.g. ZoneEdit as secondary (or slave) DNS. But be aware that the primary has to allow for zone transfer for this to work. I believe that the name servers of Enom doesn't allow zone transfer (I might be wrong, or maybe you have to explicit enable it).

ZoneEdit does allow zone transfer. I use granitecanyon.com as a slave DNS together with ZoneEdit. As a side note I think it in all cases would be a good idea to restrict zone transfers under 'Advanced Settings -> Edit Security Settings'.

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Jan

[bitequator]

^ Just wanted to say thanks for that info (about zone transfer requirement). Great to see pooling up of useful info I never actually added 3rd-party slave nameservers so my memory's mostly a huge blank. Maybe camner can add to his guide and store for future Wiki so we can all refer back every so often...

[Gankaku]

Originally posted by camner
A question: how do I handle screenshots on a wiki? Just link to the pix on my site?

You just link to the pix on your site. You can arrange the syntax like so:

[MY IMAGE | http://www.mywebhost.com/imagelocation ]

Must be opening and closing square brackets.
| is the "bar" on top of the \ key

This will create a hyperlink to your image but you'll be able to type whatever text you want before the bar. That text will be linkable.

[COUME]

Hi

I have done that now, I hope to have been aware of Secondary DNS earlier At least I will not have the same problems in the future!

But do you know other free DNS service than zoneedit? Any suggestion?

Ludo

[jhs]

Originally posted by COUME

But do you know other free DNS service than zoneedit? Any suggestion?

In no particular order: http://mydomain.com, http://express.powerdns.com, http://granitecanyon.com, http://hn.org, http://everydns.net.

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Jan

[COUME]

Originally posted by jhs
In no particular order: http://mydomain.com, http://express.powerdns.com, http://granitecanyon.com, http://hn.org, http://everydns.net.

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Jan

Is there one better or more reliable than the others?

Ludo

[jhs]

Originally posted by COUME
Is there one better or more reliable than the others?

I normally use ZoneEdit. I have also used MyDomain a little and without problems. But I do believe that MyDomain's DNS servers all are located geographical the same place. As the only service mentioned I think Everydns has one dns server outside USA/Canada. The have one in Amsterdam (I believe).

Maybe Zoneedit has some too, but I have never got any assigned outside USA/Canada.

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Jan

[COUME]

Thxs

Because once my problem is sorted... I will add zonedit as secondary.
but I am thinking to add a 3rd one to make sure, I never ever have problem again... And If I have it will mean that it is a GLOBAL problem

Ludo

[lukask]

Originally posted by jhs
Maybe Zoneedit has some too, but I have never got any assigned outside USA/Canada.

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Jan

Zoneedit has servers in the USA (Washington, New York, San Diego, San Antonio), and in Germany (Karlsruhe).

See: http://zoneedit.com/doc/network.html

[camner]

Originally posted by bbrener
Yes, I think so. However ENOM have been horrible the last 12 months with multiple lengthy outages. The latest is just one more. I have to get away from their Email forwarding so I went to Zoneedit and all Enom does is host my domain. So I can do what you suggest, but I wont use Enom for primary forwarding. I ahve to find an alternate secondary if I use Zoneedit as the primary.
Between Enom and Fastmail it is a horrible combination.
(Before anyone suggests using Fastmail to host the domain, I need URL forwarding which Fastmail does not provide and I do not trust fastmail reliability anyway).

Thanks for your help.
Brian

I recently discovered sitelutions. They do not allow zone transfers, so they won't allow for zoneedit to be secondary, but they have 4 nameservers on different continents, and they CLAIM not have had any 100% downtime (with all servers down). You could use them for name service and forwarding, and use zoneedit for backup MX. I don't know who their "top level dog" is. This is not a recommendation; just an idea. I perused their forum and I don't see complaints about down time.

[jhs]

Originally posted by lukask
Zoneedit has servers in the USA (Washington, New York, San Diego, San Antonio), and in Germany (Karlsruhe).

See: http://zoneedit.com/doc/network.html

In the web administration in ZoneEdit a geographical location is noted beside the name servers. Two of the servers I have been assigned have locations not mentioned in the above link. ns1.zoneedit.com is according the the web interface located in "USA: FL", and ns19 in "Vancouver".

Furthermore http://www.geobytes.com/IpLocator.htm?GetLocation reports Peculiar, MO for ns1.zoneedit.com (ip: 207.234.248.200). But I don't know how reliable such a service is. Is is not able to locate ns19.

I have emailed ZoneEdit for a clarification of their server locations.

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Jan

[bitequator]

This list is a nice starting point of DNS services: http://noeld.com/services.htm

Actually it's for "dynamic" DNS providers, but still, they offer DNS service There was another website with a roundup comparison of these, with user comments, but I don't remember... Anyways a lot of people (including ZoneEdit) seem to like Granite, and I think some of FastMail's staff like PowerDNS? I'd thought HN had shut down in the past but guess not.

Just for nameserver uptime though, don't eNom's 5 nameservers (dns[x].name-services.com) seem rock solid? I mean, if all 5 are completely dispersed (as I recall) and you can only have up to 5 anyways, what's the advantage of, say using only 2-3 eNom nameservers and then adding 3rd-party slaves? I'm just wondering.

GoDaddy's 6+ (at last count) nameservers (park[x].secureserver.net) might also be good, though you're only supposed to use 2 for a domain, and I don't know if they're all dispersed. Hmm, I guess maybe I feel safe just because of their size (SotD top-ten), I dunno... Or maybe overall nameserver failures aren't that common?

P.S. At work we're still using NetSol and Register.com nameservers...

[bbrener]

Originally posted by jhs
I normally use ZoneEdit. I have also used MyDomain a little and without problems. But I do believe that MyDomain's DNS servers all are located geographical the same place. As the only service mentioned I think Everydns has one dns server outside USA/Canada. The have one in Amsterdam (I believe).

Maybe Zoneedit has some too, but I have never got any assigned outside USA/Canada.

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Jan

You can pay Zoneedit extra to get one in Europe.

Brian

[bbrener]

Originally posted by camner
to bbrenner:


No, I don't think it should be simple. It isn't simple. I'm not an idiot, but it took me a long time to figure this out.



No, my tutorial assumes that SOMEONE hosts your mail server. I think that what you're doing is having zoneedit be your PRIMARY mail server, which means they can't also be your SECONDARY mail server.

But you CAN do this:

1. Have enom as your primary nameserver and mailserver (don't have enom point to zoneedit).
2. Have enom's mailforwarding forward to fastmail and/or cox
3. Create an MX record at enom pointing to zoneedit, but with a higher priority number.
4. Keep the forwarding at zoneedit as you currently have set things up.
5. Have zoneedit be a secondary/slave nameserver.

Does this make sense?

Sorry for delayed reply. Enom and/or Zoneedit either allow forwarding or MX records. You can't forward and have MX records so this soluition does not work.
I can solve the problem of Fastmail being down by forwarding each message to Fastmail and COX, but I havent figured out how to handle the situation where the person doing the forwarding goes out like ENOM did last week.
That's the problem I'd like to solve.

Brian