Registering and Managing Child Name Servers

Child Name Servers are Name Servers which are registered with the Registry under your domain name. You have to register Name servers with the Registry, before you can use them as Name Servers for registering other domain names. Child Name Servers can be registered only by the owner of the domain name under which they are registered.

Example:

A Child Name Server ns2.xyz.com can only be registered by the Owner of xyz.com.

Registering and Managing Child Name Servers

  1. Login to your Control Panel, search for the domain name and proceed to the Order Information view. See details

    About Lock / Suspension 

    Note
    • If the domain name is Locked/Suspended, you will have to first get it Unlocked/Unsuspended it before proceeding further.

    • For Resellers: If the domain name is Locked by you, you may proceed without Unlocking it.

    • For Resellers: If the domain name is Locked by GBNames, you need to get it Unlocked first. Contact our Support Team at https://kb.gbnames.uk.

    • For Resellers: If the domain name is Suspended by either you or GBNames, it needs to be first Unsuspended, before you can proceed.

  2. Click the Child Name Servers link.

    Here, you may:

    Add a Child Name Server (Anchor: add)

    Enter the Host Name of the Child Name Server you wish to add in the Host Name box, mention its IP Address (IPv4 or IPv6) and click the Save button.

    Examples:

    • For yourdomainname.com, you may use the Host Name as ns1.yourdomainname.com and an IPv4 IP Address as 111.222.333.444.

    • yourdomainname.biz could have the Host Name as dns1.yourdomainname.biz and an IPv6 IP Address as 2001:0db8:0:0:0:0:1428:57ab.

    Note

    Registering a Child Name Server as mentioned above is just the first step. The Child Name Server is required to be registered at the Registry to only serve as a non-authoritative Record should your Child Name Server not be resolvable in some extreme condition.

    This Name Server would start working only after you have added either an Address (A) Record for IPv4 or AAAA Record for IPv6 or Canonical (CNAME) Record for this Name Server within the Zone for the domain name (of this Child Name Server) in your own DNS Server, thus binding the NS to the IP Address.

    Examples:

    • If you are running your own DNS Servers, then you would need to add a Zone for the domain name yourdomainname.com and create an A Record like:

      ns1.yourdomainname.com. 38400 IN A 111.222.333.444

      Similarly, you may add an AAAA Record as

      ns1.yourdomainname.com. 38400 IN AAAA 2001:0db8:0:0:0:0:1428:57ab

    • If you wish to simply point your Name Servers to other Name Servers, then you may do so by either:

      1. you may either add a CNAME Record to your Service Provider's Name Server, after enabling Managed DNS service through them:

        ns1.yourdomainname.com. 38400 IN CNAME ns1.serviceprovider.com

        or

      2. you may add an A or AAAA Record to your Service Provider's Name Server IP Address (depending upon whether your Service Provider has an IPv4 or IPv6), after enabling Managed DNS service through them:

        ns1.yourdomainname.com. 38400 IN A 777.888.999.000

        or

        ns1.yourdomainname.com. 38400 IN AAAA 2001:0db8:0:0:0:0:1428:57ab

    Errors and Domain Name Extension Specific Conditions 

    Note
    • Generally, a domain name may have any number of Child Name Servers associated with it.

    • You will encounter the below error message in case an invalid or reserved IP Address is used:

      Attention

      Object does not exist

      Additional Information

      IPv4 Address Space

      IPv6 Address Space

    • An IPv6 Address may be entered in either of the following formats:

      • 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:0000:20.40.87.171

      • 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:0000:1428:57ab

      • 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000::1428:57ab

      • 2001:0db8:0:0:0:0:1428:57ab

      • 2001:0db8:0:0::1428:57ab

      • 2001:0db8::1428:57ab

      • 2001:db8::1428:57ab

    • IPv6 Addresses are not supported for some TLDs:

      • .ES

    • Generally, each Child Name Server may have upto 13 unique IP Addresses associated with it.

    • In case of .ES domain names (Anchor: esrules), you may associate only a single IPv4 Address per Child Name Server.

    • In case of .UK domain names (Anchor: ukrules), each Child Name Server can have only a single unique IP Address associated with it.

      Example:

      You can Register a Child Name Server with the Host Name ns1 for yourdomainname.co.uk and associate only a single unique IP Address with this Host Name.

    Modify a Child Name Server (Anchor: modify)

    • Modifying the Hostname: Make the modifications in the Host Name textbox and click the Save button.

      Domain Name Extension Specific Conditions 

      Note
      • Modification of the Hostname of a Child Name Server under a .ES domain name is not allowed.

    • Modifying the IP Address: Make the modifications in the IP Address textbox and click the Save button.

      Errors, IPv6 Format and IPv6 Support 

      Note

      You will encounter the below error message in case an invalid or reserved IP Address is used:

      Attention

      Object does not exist

      Additional Information

      IPv4 Address Space

      IPv6 Address Space

      • An IPv6 Address may be entered in either of the following formats:

        • 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:0000:20.40.87.171

        • 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:0000:1428:57ab

        • 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000::1428:57ab

        • 2001:0db8:0:0:0:0:1428:57ab

        • 2001:0db8:0:0::1428:57ab

        • 2001:0db8::1428:57ab

        • 2001:db8::1428:57ab

      • IPv6 Addresses are not supported for some TLDs

        • .ES

    Delete a Child Name Server (Anchor: delete)

    Click the Delete link to delete individual Child Name Servers.

    Errors and Restrictions 

    Note
    • You will encounter the below error message while deleting a Child Name Server if this is being used by another domain name of the same extension as a Name Server:

      Attention

      Object association prohibits operation

      Example:

      If the Child Name Server ns1.yourdomainname.com is being used by xyz.com as its Name Server, then you will not be able to delete ns1.yourdomainname.com until xyz.com modifies its Name Server (to some other Name Server).

      You will need to modify the Name Servers of all domain names using the Child Name Server as their authoritative Name Server and try attempt the Child Name Server deletion.

      However, if xyz.info was using ns1.yourdomainname.com as its Name Server, then you would not face any issue while deleting your Child Name Server: ns1.yourdomainname.com.

    • Deletion of a Child Name Server under a .ES domain name is not allowed.

    • Deletion of a Child Name Server under a .UK domain name is not allowed.

Error due to Lock / Suspension / Outbound Transfer 

Note

You will encounter the below error message in case the domain name is either:

  • Locked/Suspended at the Registry (and not under our system), or

  • a Transfer Away for the domain name to another Registrar is under process.

Attention

Domain Status does not allow this operation.

If you wish to modify/delete your domain name's Child Name Server in these circumstances, you have the following solutions:

  • Lock/Suspension applied at the Registry: Contact our Support Team at https://kb.gbnames.uk to know the reason for Lock/Suspension and how this Lock/Suspension may be removed.

  • While a Transfer Away is under process:

    • Cancel the Transfer through the link listed in the email sent to the Registrant/Administrative Contact of the domain name and then perform the required modification, or

    • Wait for the Transfer to complete and then carry out the desired modification at the New Registrar.