DNS - Secondary Servers (AXFR)

In this article, you will learn:

• What the secondary WEDOS DNS server settings are used for
• How to set up WEDOS secondary DNS servers
• How to set up secondary DNS from another provider
• Frequently Asked Questions

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WEDOS NS as secondary DNS

You can use WEDOS DNS servers as secondary DNS servers, meaning you can have them download DNS records from other DNS servers using AXFR.

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WEDOS NS secondary setup

You configure WEDOS DNS servers as secondary both on the WEDOS side and at the provider of the authoritative DNS servers.

Setup on the WEDOS side

Add each domain that will use WEDOS DNS servers as secondary to the system by following these steps:

1. Sign in to the client administration ⧉.
2. In the top menu, select DNS.
3. In the left menu, select Add domain to DNS.
4. Fill in:
   • Domain name: enter the second-level domain name (without www or other subdomains, e.g. wds-test.cz).
   • Type: change the value to secondary.
   • Pattern: leave the value as no pattern.
   • Primary IP: enter the IPv4 address of the domain's primary authoritative DNS server.
5. Check the consent box and click the add domain button.

When determining whether a change has occurred on the primary DNS, WEDOS DNS follows the REFRESH and RETRY values in the SOA header of the given domain. It does not accept notifications from authoritative DNS servers.

If you made a change on the authoritative DNS and need to speed up its loading into WEDOS DNS, use the Schedule AXFR button in the detail. The system will then perform the check within a few minutes.

Setup on the provider of authoritative DNS servers

Secondary WEDOS DNS will download data from authoritative DNS servers via AXFR from IPv4 addresses in the range 46.28.104.64/27. Allow AXFR transfer from these addresses with your provider.

TSIG security

To increase transfer security, you can use TSIG (Trasnaction SIGnature). If your primary server supports it and you have it set up there, enter the settings in the VEDOS administration:

1. Sign in to the client administration ⧉.
2. In the top menu, select DNS.
3. Select the domain for which you want to set up TSIG verification.
4. In the left menu, select Domain settings
5. In the Domain section, check the TSIG option and fill in the name, algorithm, and key according to the TSIG settings on the primary server.
6. Click the Save changes and Apply changes buttons (in that order).

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Secondary DNS from another provider

If you want to use WEDOS DNS servers as primary and another provider as secondary, find out:

• IP address (or addresses) of the secondary DNS servers. Obtain this information directly from the provider.
• TSIG security information, if the provider allows its deployment.

Next, set up outgoing AXFR by following these steps:

1. Sign in to the client administration ⧉.
2. In the top menu, select DNS.
3. Select the domain for which you want to enable outgoing AXFR.
4. In the domain settings, check the box allow outgoing AXFR for this domain and enter the IP addresses of the secondary DNS servers.
5. Click the Save changes button and then Apply changes.

If your secondary DNS provider supports TSIG security, you can use the TSIG: set (new) button to generate the name, algorithm, and key to enter into your provider's system. The cancel button then deletes the TSIG data from the system.

Frequently Asked Questions