Have you ever purchased a web hosting package from a website hosting provider different from where you purchased your domain name? This situation can be frustrating to many new newcomers without prior knowledge of how to point a domain name to a host.
Table of Contents
- 3 ways you can point a domain name to another host
- How to Point a domain name from Namecheap to A2 hosting
3 ways you can point a domain name to another host
There are three ways you can point a domain name to another host, but our presentation shall be focused on the most recommended option. Let’s quickly look at the different ways you can point a domain name from an existing host to a new host.
Transferring your domain to a new provider
You can move your domain name to a new hosting platform by providing the authorization code – the EPP code. While this is a good option, it will require additional payments on your part. You’ll need to renew your domain for at least one year. Another reason this is not recommended is that it is advisable to keep the domain name and hosting with different providers so that if one provider goes down, you can easily migrate to a different provider.
Updating the domain’s DNS A record
You can update your domain’s DNS A record with your new IP address. But, an A record is meant to direct to a specific IP address. Here’s the problem: If there’s a change to your IP address, your domain will stop working until there’s an update.
Changing the domain’s nameservers
The third method will be our most recommended option. It entails moving your domain’s DNS control from the registrar to your new host. For instance, you can point your domain name from namecheap.com to a2hosting.com without changing Namecheap as your registrar.
How to Point a domain name from Namecheap to A2 hosting
We are using these two hosting platforms as an example. But, the following steps can be applied to other hosting packages with little modifications.
Step 1: Get the New Nameserver Addresses from A2 hosting
Log in to A2 hosting and find the list of nameservers on the documentation page. You can click on “Account Details” next to the domain name after logging into the control panel. As applicable to other web hosts, you’ll find two or more nameservers. Copy out these values in the order of ns1, ns2, ns3, and so on, as the case may be.
These are the values you’ll enter into Namecheap’s control panel. If you can’t identify them, please contact your new host; in this case, a2hosting.com.
Step 2: Apply the New Nameservers Addresses
Log into your Namecheap account to replace your domain’s old nameserver addresses with the ones you got from A2 hosting. On the control panel, locate the “Domain List” and click on “Manage” beside the domain you want to update. Scroll down and identify the DNS/Nameservers.
Input the value that usually starts with ns1 into nameserver1 and the value that usually starts with ns2 into nameserver 2, and so on if you have more options. If you have more nameserver options on the registrar’s panel, just input the values you have in the order of ns1 and ns2 and ignore the rest. You can also contact your registrar’s support for assistance on this or other differences.
Step 3: Wait for the transfer to take place
The next thing you want to do is to wait for the DNS Propagation to take place. The time it would take for the transfer to complete could range from anything between a couple of hours and 2 days.
When you transfer a domain from one host to another, the domain name continues to reside with your former provider. Your domain name will not direct visitors to a new provider until the right changes have been made. To correctly point your domain name to another host, it is important to follow the steps outlined in this post.
