DNS Management

Requesting DNS Changes

If your domain name is hosted with AAPT, you can request DNS changes when needed by emailing hostmaster@connect.com.au. Alternatively, you can fax the request to Support. This email should come from one of the contacts we have listed in our records for your company. In your request, include your preferred contact details in case we need to check the details with you.

Be sure to include your domain name and clear details of what changes or additions are required. For example, a request like "set our mail server to 192.0.2.3" is not clear, since it doesn't specify the hostname for your mail server. Instead, request specific records like this:

To: hostmaster@connect.com.au
Subject: DNS changes for example.com.

Please add the following two records to reflect our new primary mail server:

example.com.          IN  MX   10 thimble.example.com.
thimble.example.com.  IN  A    192.0.2.3

There is some brief information on common DNS record types in our DNS Overview, plus a separate page about reverse DNS.

When are changes made?

Most DNS requests are completed on the day they arrive. Changes don't become visible on our nameservers until an update process is run. This happens at 10pm each night. If you require changes to be made at a particular time, please call Support to make arrangements.

Note that due to the nature of DNS, changes are never immediate. Once changes are visible on our nameservers, it can take up to 24 hours for the changes to "propagate" around the Internet. DNS servers cache records for a period of time. This results in a propagation delay where some servers are unaware of the new data, as they already have records in their cache.

Domain Registration vs. Domain Management

There are two costs involved in using a domain name: domain registration and domain management. Some people confuse the two, but they are separate.

Domain Registration
Domain registration refers to obtaining or retaining a licence to use a domain. Domains can be registered through registrars like Melbourne IT. You can either contact a registrar directly, or get AAPT to register the domain on your behalf through Melbourne IT (in which case the registration fee will be included on your AAPT invoice). Once the domain is registered, it can be delegated to AAPT's DNS servers (if AAPT is managing the domain for you) or your own DNS servers. Delegation makes it possible for anyone on the Internet to find out where to look up data for the domain.
Domain Management
Domain management refers to hosting the domain name; that is, storing the data and answering DNS queries when requested. If AAPT is managing your domain, a fee will be included on your invoice that covers the operational cost of running the DNS servers and the administrative cost of making DNS changes when you request them.

Further Information

A brief overview of DNS - includes links to reference material
Reverse DNS - explains what is involved in delegating a reverse zone