Prontuno
Pricing
AI

Appearance

Log in Request access
Tools

ToolsDomains and DNS

Free nameserver checker and NS lookup

Nameservers store a domain’s DNS records. The provider that runs them, which can differ from the registrar, is where you edit records.

Background

What is a nameserver?

A nameserver is a DNS server that stores a domain’s records and answers queries for them. The registrar delegates each domain to a set of authoritative nameservers, usually run by a DNS provider. The provider those nameservers belong to is where the domain’s records must be edited.

How to read the result

The registrar delegates the domain to a set of nameservers, and those servers answer with the domain’s records. The provider shown is where you add or edit records such as MX, TXT, and CNAME.

The DNS provider is often different from the registrar. Change nameservers at the registrar, and change records at the DNS provider.

Coverage

What this tool checks

  • The NS records published for the domain
  • Each authoritative nameserver’s hostname
  • The DNS provider, or providers, the nameservers belong to
  • Where to edit the domain’s records, when the provider is recognized

Troubleshooting

Common problems and how to fix them

Unexpected provider
Check the nameserver settings at the registrar. After a migration, the domain may still be delegated to the previous provider.
Record changes have no effect
You may be editing a zone at a provider the domain is not delegated to. Edit records at the provider shown here.
Nameserver doesn’t answer
Confirm the zone exists at the provider and that every listed nameserver is serving it.
Missing glue records
If a nameserver is inside the domain it serves, such as ns1.example.com, the registrar must publish its IP addresses as glue records.

Example

example.com.  NS  ns1.provider.example.
example.com.  NS  ns2.provider.example.
This domain is delegated to two nameservers at the same provider, where its active zone is hosted.

FAQ

Questions about nameservers

What is an authoritative nameserver?
A DNS server that holds the official records for a domain’s zone and answers queries for them.
Where do I change nameservers?
At the domain registrar. Individual records such as MX and TXT are changed at the DNS provider the nameservers belong to.
How long does a nameserver change take?
Resolvers keep the old delegation until its cached TTL expires, which is often up to 48 hours for top-level domain delegations.
What is a lame delegation?
A delegation is lame when a listed nameserver does not answer authoritatively for the domain, usually because the zone was removed or never created there.

Keep checking

Related tools

  • DNS record checker

    Look up A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, CAA, and SOA records.

  • WHOIS and RDAP lookup

    Look up domain registration data, registrar, status, nameservers, and DNSSEC via RDAP.

Specifications
RFC 1034: Domain Names: Concepts and Facilities (opens in a new tab)