Nameserver (NS) records are an essential part of a domain name system (DNS) server. They tell your device where to look for a domain’s Internet Protocol (IP) address. 

With millions of domain names in use, it would be very inefficient for your device to search through every DNS server to resolve a single domain name. Instead, NS records streamline the process by enabling domain delegation — the assignment of specific domains (or subdomains) to designated nameservers. 

When you delegate your domain, you spread DNS queries across multiple servers, reducing the workload on any single DNS server. This enables your device to resolve a search faster and more reliably, leading to a smoother implementation of features like domain forwarding. DNS hosting providers, such as No-IP, support this process by offering the tools and infrastructure you need to manage your DNS effectively.

In this guide, we’ll cover the fundamentals of NS records and how they’re used to delegate DNS management for your domain.

What is an NS Record?

A nameserver is a type of DNS server used in resolving a query. If DNS records are like entries in the internet’s phone book, NS records are like the table of contents — they tell you which section (or server) holds the information for a particular domain. They specify which authoritative server the domain uses. 

Computers talk to each other, just like humans do. However, computers don’t understand words, and instead, they use IP addresses.  When you type a domain name into a browser (like “noip.com”), the device asks a recursive server to translate those words into an IP address. The recursive server then queries nameservers until it finds the authoritative server that you requested. This typically happens in milliseconds.

Usually, there is one primary nameserver and several secondary ones. The secondary servers store copies of the primary DNS records. Having primary and secondary servers helps ensure a reliable connection. If one server is unavailable, another server can answer the query.

How Nameservers Help with Domain Delegation

Domain delegation allows organizations to assign different domain names — or subdomains — to different DNS providers or servers. This makes it possible to divide a larger DNS zone into smaller subzones. 

When you type in a domain, a DNS resolver must find the corresponding IP. The resolver starts from the root name servers  (which are like the highest level nameservers) and follows the chain of command and delegation. It uses NS records to find the authoritative name server for each level. 
For example, if you want to delegate a subdomain, such as blog.noip.com, to a different DNS provider, you will create an NS record. This record exists within the noip.com zone and shows which server houses the subdomain. When someone searches for anything with the domain blog.noip.com, their device will use NS records to find the appropriate server.

How Domain Delegation Benefits Your Website

With millions of domains in use, it’s not practical for a single DNS server to manage every domain’s records. Domain delegation solves this by distributing DNS responsibilities across multiple authoritative nameservers. 

Delegating parts of your website to different subzones provides you with the following benefits:

• Allows you to customize and control how each subdomain is managed
• Improves website performance
• Increases load times 
• Ensures reliable access to your website from anywhere

Common Use Cases for NS Records

Domain delegation has many common uses, but it’s most used in the following instances:

Personal Websites and Blogs

Personal websites are becoming increasingly common, especially with the rise of freelancing and consulting. Whether you’re a professional or a hobbyist, you may choose to delegate parts of your domain. If you have a blog or portfolio, you can assign the subdomains to secondary servers instead of your primary. For example, server one may house johndoe.com, but you can have blog.johndoe.com pointing to server two.

Small Businesses

Likewise, small businesses that rely on users finding their websites can benefit from domain delegation and NS records. They can assign their services page to one server and their sales page to another. By spreading their website across different servers, they can customize and manage their settings to ensure reliable uptime.

Enterprises and IT Teams

Large enterprises and IT departments also benefit from domain delegation. Often, IT departments have separate DNS needs from the marketing teams. Domain delegation allows each department to have complete control over its settings to optimize security and performance.

How to Check and Update NS Records Manually

Checking and updating your NS records are essential to ensure your website loads. Typically, you’ll use your domain registrar’s control panel to locate and modify the DNS settings. To do so, log in to your domain registrar’s account and navigate to the domain management section. Then, find the domain you want to update. Once you locate the NS records, you can click “Edit” or “Manage” to modify the records. 

You can also check your NS records via the command line using the nslookup command. Use this step-by-step guide to help: 

1.Open the Command prompt.

2.Type nslookup, then the domain name, and then hit Enter. The command should return the A record for the domain you queried. (Example: nslookup noip.com)

3.Type nslookup -q=XX example.com. XX is a type of DNS record. (Example: nslookup -q=MX noip.com.)

4.If you want to look up a specific type of record, use the nslookup -type=record_type example.com (Example: nslookup – type=ns_example.com.) Hit enter. The command prompt will then display the NS record for the specified domain.

Other Helpful Tips and Tricks

Another way to check Global DNS records is by using a tool such as WhatsMyDns.net. It has a variety of different DNS servers around the world, and you can check various DNS records. This is a nice way to make sure your domain is visible from across the globe.

If you want to modify your NS records, be aware that some changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate across the internet. If you don’t see a change, you might need to wait for the old NS records to expire. Once they expire, the new ones should be updated.

When you update a nameserver, you may encounter a problem called lame delegation. This is a common cause of search errors that happens when one or more NS records are incorrect. Luckily, there’s an easy solution. When you update a record, make sure you update both the root of the zone and the parent zone. 

Why Choose No-IP for NS Record Management?

A DNS first service allows you to easily assign specific NS to handle different subdomains. Doing so enables you to set up domain forwarding and manage different DNS record types likeA records and MX email records. At No-IP, we make the process of managing your NS records easy. Our user-friendly interface and expert assistance help prevent misconfigurations and downtime. We have a global Anycast network that ensures fast DNS resolution and high uptime without sacrificing your data’s security. 

Take control of your DNS with our dynamic DNS solutions and managed DNS service. Our team can help you effectively manage your NS records to keep your domain accessible and secure from anywhere in the world. Contact our team today to learn more about our solutions for individuals and businesses.