How to use your domain as a nameserver?
This article will explain what private nameservers are and how you can set them up on your 123 Reg domain name.
Usually when you sign up for web hosting, you use your host’s nameservers. When you have your own nameservers, these will need to be configured and added to your own domain name.
Instead of people seeing your web hosting company’s nameservers, they see your private nameservers. If you sell hosting and don’t want your customers to know who your web host is, you will want your own private nameservers. Private nameservers typically are in the format of ns1.your-domain.co.uk and ns2.your-domain.co.uk.
Please note: before proceeding, you’ll need to make sure that your domain isn’t locked. In addition to this, if you have an older version of our Domain Ownership Protection service (purchased before August 2023) in place on your domain, you may need to disable this service. For details on how to do this, please read the following articles:
- How do I turn off Domain Ownership Protection (‘DOP’) for my domains?
- How do I lock/unlock my domain name?
If, however, you have our current Domain Ownership Protection service (purchased after August 2023) assigned to your domain, please continue reading.
Creating your own private nameserver
Start by logging in to your 123 Reg Control Panel.
Next, select Manage All opposite Domains within the ‘All Products and Services’ section.
You will now see a complete list of your purchased domain names. Select the domain you want to update from the provided list.
If you can’t find your domain in this list, you may be able to find it on the Domain Name Overview page within our legacy Control Panel. For more details on this, please read the following article: How do I access and manage my products?
This will take you to the overview page for your chosen domain. If you’re using our current Control Panel, select DNS in the toolbar above.
If you’re using our legacy Control Panel, click Change Nameservers within the Advanced Domain Settings section and continue to step 6.
If you’re using our current Control Panel, select Hostnames below the toolbar and then click Add Hostname on the next page.
If you’re using our current Control Panel, enter the details for your nameserver into the provided fields, which will include the hostname and its IP address. Once done, click Save.
If you’re using our legacy Control Panel, enter the details for the nameservers you wish to add into the provided boxes. Once done, click Update.
Please note: it may take up to 48 hours for this change to be completed.
If you’ve enabled Domain Ownership Protection on your domain, you will need to verify your identity. This can be done via 2-Step Verification or by entering the one-time password that will be sent to your email address.
Enter your code into the provided field and click Verify.
After a few moments, you will receive a confirmation message, informing you that your nameservers have been updated.