One of the requirements when you set up a Website and for the Website to be online is to be able to set the nameservers correctly. You need to make sure that the DNS or domain nameservers of your domain name is pointing to your web host.
I already wrote a little bit about this topic on my blog entry, How to Start a Website, but there were no illustrations. This time, I included a few images so you will have a better idea on how to set the nameservers or change the nameservers.
I will again use GoDaddy and DreamHost in this example. As I have mentioned on my past blog entries, aside from being comfortable using GoDaddy and DreamHost, I like the features of GoDaddy as a domain registrar and DreamHost as a web hosting provider.
How to Set Nameservers or How to Change Nameservers
Proceed to GoDaddy or your domain name registrar.
1. Login by supplying your username and password.
You will be redirected to “My Account” page where you will see your domain name.
2. Click the domain name, for example, DOMAIN-NAME-WHATEVER.COM.
You will be redirected to the “Domain Manager – Domain Details” page.
3. Click Set Nameservers under “Nameservers”.
A pop-up window will open with this text:
“If you are hosting your Web site with us (you have a hosting account with us associated with this domain) or you want to Park or Forward your domain, we will automatically set your nameservers for you.”
But if your web host is different from your domain registrar, you need to change the nameservers.
Click “I have specific nameservers for my domains” if your web host is different from your domain registrar.
4. Replace the current nameservers, if there are any, with DreamHost nameservers if your web host is DreamHost.
The Dreamhost nameservers are the following:
NS1.DREAMHOST.COM
NS2.DREAMHOST.COM
NS3.DREAMHOST.COM
Enter NS1.DREAMHOST.COM at the space corresponding to Nameserver 1
Enter NS2.DREAMHOST.COM at the space corresponding to Nameserver 2
Enter NS3.DREAMHOST.COM at the space corresponding to Nameserver 3
Nameserver 1 and Nameserver 2 are required and you will see that if there is an asterisk near it. An asterisk normally indicates that something is required.
Click the button “OK” after you supplied the new nameservers.
A pop-up window will open with this text:
“Your changes have been submitted. Please allow a few minutes for the changes to take effect.”
5. Click the button “OK”.
That’s it!
To check if you set the nameservers successfully, leave the page first, wait for a few minutes, then go back to the page again.
If the new DreamHost nameservers are already listed under the Nameservers, then you were able to set the nameservers successfully.
You will have to wait for 48-72 hours for the DNS to propagate though. Sometimes, it does not really take the DNS to propagate that long but your domain registrar will always tell you to wait for 48-72 hours or maybe less than 48 hours for security purposes.
I am not going to explain to you what is DNS propagation. It is important for you to know though that this process is needed.
You will know if the DNS have propagated once you see that your Website is online.
Most of the time, the web host has a temporary “coming soon” page. If you see that page, then the DNS have propagated.
Disclosure: As an affiliate, if you decide to register a domain name with GoDaddy, and get a web hosting account with DreamHost, I am going to earn from it.
[…] start a Website, how to register a domain name, how to get a web host, how to set up a Website, and how to set or change nameservers. Almost everything that have been discussed on those topics were required for a Website to be […]