Name Server Manager

You can use the Name Server Manager to change the name servers associated with your domains. We allow up to 13 possible name servers, although only 2 are required. It is important to enter the actual name server name, not the IP address. Name servers are typically formatted like "NS1.host.com".

Steps to Change Name Servers:

1. Log in to your OffshoreDomains.com client area.
2. Navigate to the "Domains" section.
3. Select the domain(s) you wish to update by clicking on “Manage Domain”
4. Click on the “ Nameservers”link in the "Menu for Selected Domains" section.
5. Add/Update your name servers in the "NameServer Entry" box.
   • In most cases, remove the existing name server entries before entering your new/updated name servers.

Name Server Validation:

We ensure that you enter only valid name servers since invalid or incorrect name servers will prevent your website, email, and other domain-related services from functioning correctly. We have implemented checks that run with every name server change to verify the entries. Common reasons for invalid name servers include non-existent servers or incorrectly entered server names.

How Long Does It Take for Name Server Changes to Take Effect?

This is a common question with a complex answer. While we make name server changes in real-time, DNS records are cached across the Internet at different times, which can cause delays. Here’s a basic explanation:

1. Real-Time Updates: When you update name servers with our service, the change is made immediately. Your WHOIS information and the TLD zone file are updated in real-time.
2. Propagation Delays: DNS records are cached by ISPs and other DNS servers with varying expiration times. This means name server changes can take 1-48 hours to propagate fully across the Internet.

To illustrate this, consider the domain "domain.com":

• The first time you typed in www.domain.com, your computer requested the IP address from your domain's name servers. This IP address is cached by your ISP to speed up the Internet.
• When you change your domain's name servers, the new servers might provide a different IP address for www.domain.com. However, your ISP may still serve the cached IP address from the old name servers until the cached records expire, which can take 1-48 hours.

Additionally, your web browser may cache websites similarly to ISPs. We recommend clearing your browser cache when testing name server changes. Here is a Google article on clearing browser cache.

Resources to Verify Name Server Changes:

• WHOIS Search: Use the WHOIS lookup available on our site or any third-party WHOIS service like InterNic.
• Online Troubleshooting: Our Web Site Troubleshooter can help you identify if your name server changes are within the propagation window.
• Online Ping Tests: Use free online ping test websites to see if the new IP address for your domain is being used. Examples include:
  • Network Tools
  • Website Speed Test by Hosting Review

These tools help ensure your name server changes are correct and show you when they have propagated to all ISPs. It may take some time for these services to update their systems, so check back periodically.