Set Up Private (White-Label) Nameservers

Summary: This guide shows you how to create branded nameservers such as ns1.yourbrand.com and ns2.yourbrand.com for your reseller VPS, which works on every plan.

How it works

Private nameservers take three pieces:

1. Glue (child nameserver) records at the registrar for your brand domain. These tell the internet which IP address ns1.yourbrand.com lives at.
2. Nameserver settings in WHM, so your server lists your branded names for every account.
3. A records for ns1 and ns2 in the DNS for yourbrand.com.

You'll need your server's dedicated IPv4 address. It's in your welcome email and in the Liberation Client Area under Services. Your plan includes one IPv4 address, so both nameservers point to that same IP.

Step 1: Register child nameservers at your registrar

1. Log in to the registrar where yourbrand.com is registered. This is your brand domain, not a client's domain.
2. Find the section for creating nameservers. Registrars use different names for it, including "Child Nameservers," "Glue Records," "Register Nameservers," "Host Names," or "Personal DNS Server."
3. Create ns1.yourbrand.com and point it to your server's IP.
4. Create ns2.yourbrand.com and point it to the same IP.
5. Save your changes.

Registered your brand domain with Liberation? If you need help registering child nameservers, open a ticket with the domain and the nameserver names you want, and we'll take care of it.

A few registrars or domain extensions require each nameserver to have a different IP address. If yours refuses to save two nameservers with the same IP, open a ticket and we'll go over your options.

Step 2: Enter the nameservers in WHM

1. Log in to WHM at https://YOUR-SERVER-IP:2087 as root.
2. Go to Server Configuration » Basic WebHost Manager Setup.
3. Scroll to the Nameservers section.
4. Enter ns1.yourbrand.com and ns2.yourbrand.com in the first two fields.
5. If a Configure Address Records button appears next to a nameserver, click it and confirm your server's IP. This creates the A record on your server.
6. Click Save Changes.

New accounts will now use your branded nameservers. Accounts you created earlier keep their existing NS records, which you can update under DNS Functions in WHM.

Step 3: Make sure the A records exist

If the DNS for yourbrand.com is hosted on your reseller VPS, Step 2 usually creates these A records for you. If it's hosted somewhere else, such as your registrar or a DNS provider, add them there:

Step 4: Test your nameservers

On a Mac or Linux computer, open Terminal. Replace the example names with yours:

dig +short ns1.yourbrand.com
dig +short ns2.yourbrand.com

Both commands should return your server's IP. To check that your server answers for a client domain hosted on it:

dig @ns1.yourbrand.com clientdomain.com A +short

On Windows, open Command Prompt and use nslookup:

nslookup ns1.yourbrand.com 8.8.8.8
nslookup clientdomain.com ns1.yourbrand.com

For .com and .net brand domains, you can confirm the glue records at the registry directly:

dig +norec @a.gtld-servers.net ns1.yourbrand.com A

Look for your IP in the ADDITIONAL section of the output.

Step 5: Point client domains to your nameservers

At each client domain's registrar, set the nameservers to ns1.yourbrand.com and ns2.yourbrand.com. Before you switch a domain, make sure it already has a cPanel account on your server. Otherwise, your server won't have DNS records to answer with.

How long propagation takes

• Glue records usually reach the registry within minutes to a few hours.
• Nameserver changes on client domains can take up to 24 to 48 hours to reach everyone, because resolvers cache the old values.
• Record changes inside a zone take effect according to that record's TTL.

If a nameserver still doesn't resolve after 48 hours, see Private Nameservers Not Resolving.

Still stuck? Open a ticket

Our U.S.-based support team is available 24/7. Open a support ticket from the Liberation Client Area and include your brand domain, the nameserver names, and the output of the dig or nslookup commands above. Tickets are private, so they are the safe place to share server details. Never post passwords in public forums or chats.