How to set up DNS in IceWarp Cloud

This guide is designed to help you set up the DNS records to make your domain available from outside.

CHECK FIRST
These steps are necessary to check before you make any changes to your DNS records.

• identify what is the domain you want to set up and run (please note that you must be an owner of such domain)
• identify the hostname of your IceWarp cloud account (for example, myaccount.onice.io in the URL address)
• identify your domain name registrar

CHANGE NEXT
Follow the steps below to set up your DNS records successfully.

• Create your domain
  (navigate to the top left + sign and select New domain, enter the name and press Save)

• Navigate to your registrar’s DNS console and enter the following DNS records below (for example, GoDaddy, HostGator, HostMonster, BlueHost, Network Solutions, NameCheap, Gandi, Hover, or DreamHost)

DNS RECORD - CNAME

CNAME records allow you to choose which URLs will open webmail when typed into your internet browser. We have chosen the most usual ones (mail, webmail, webclient), but it is up to you which one you want to use (enter only the one you want to use, for example, "mail"). However, the autodiscover record must be typed exactly as shown. You will learn more about autodiscover further in this article. 

DNS RECORD - MX

A mail exchanger record (MX) specifies the mail server responsible for accepting email messages.

DNS RECORD - SRV (AUTODISCOVER)

Autodiscover record is needed for an easy login into external clients such as mobile phones. You can learn more about Autodiscover in our article.

DNS RECORDS - SPF

SPF - The Sender Policy Framework can specify which IP addresses and/or hostnames are authorized to send emails from the specific domain. This example record contains only an MX server. You can create your record with wizard at www.spfwizard.net.

DNS RECORD - DKIM

DKIM creates a domain-level authentication framework for email using private-key technology and a DNS record to prove the source and content of a message.

This record must be created in every domain.

• Head into your webadmin interface and select the domain in which you want to create a DKIM record and select the "Properties" tab and click on the DKIM button
• Now you are able to choose your "selector". Selector helps differentiate different DKIMs on your domain. In case you have multiple DKIM signatures on your domain, please type in a unique selector word. If you do not have another DKIM signature on your domain, you can choose pretty much any word your want. In our case, we will choose "iwdkim".
• Now Let's generate your unique key by clicking on the "GENERATE NEW KEY" button. After that, you are presented with your hostname and unique selector record.
• Copy the values from "HOSTNAME" and "SELECTOR RECORD" to your clipboard and head to your DNS manager on your domain provider.
• Now create a new TXT DNS record in which "HOSTNAME" from the previous step will correspond to the Name of the DNS record and "SELECTOR RECORD" will correspond to the Value of the TXT DNS record. Set the TTL to 3600
• Last but not least, click on the "SAVE" button and confirm the creation of the DKIM.

For example in our case the TXT DNS record would look like this: 

Please note that the value has been shortened for presentation purposes.

You can find out more about DKIM settings in our IceWarp Academy video.

PTR RECORD (rDNS)

This record is set up on every cloud by default, and no further steps are needed. On-premise customers must contact their internet service provider of public IP address to issue a change on the PTR record. For more information on what SPF is available here.