Key takeaways
- Nameservers inside your own domain need glue records at the registrar, or nobody can find them.
- Run at least two nameservers, and put the second one outside your own network.
- The NS list at the registrar and the NS records in your zone must match.
- Test with dig +trace and against each nameserver directly before you move any customer.
Branded nameservers, such as ns1.yourhost.com, make a hosting business look like one. They also keep customers' domains working when you change provider behind the scenes. Setting them up is a few steps, but a mistake in any of them breaks every domain that uses them, so it pays to go slowly. The DNS feature of a panel handles the zones; this post covers the parts that happen at the registrar.
Why glue records exist
To look up example.com, a resolver asks the .com servers who is authoritative. They answer with ns1.example.com. But to ask that server, the resolver needs its address, and finding the address needs example.com. That loop is broken by a glue record: the registry hands out the address together with the NS answer.
RFC 1912 (read 30 October 2026) says glue is only needed for nameservers inside the delegated domain. A nameserver such as ns1.otherdomain.net needs none.
Step 1: choose names and addresses
Pick two names, for example ns1.yourhost.com and ns2.yourhost.com, and two public IP addresses. Different servers and, if possible, different networks. A single server for both names is a single point of failure; RFC 1912 asks for secondaries outside your network.
Step 2: register the host records at the registrar
Registrars call this personal nameservers, host records or glue records. Namecheap's help page (read 30 October 2026) describes it: open the domain, go to Advanced DNS, find the Personal DNS Server section, add ns1 with its IP address, then ns2. It also notes that some top level domains have restrictions: .DE and .IS domains cannot currently register personal nameservers, and .AI only allows simple hostnames. Other registrars use the same idea under other menu names, so check the help of yours.
Registering the host does not make any domain use it. That is a separate change of the nameserver list.
Step 3: build the zone
On your DNS server, create the zone for yourhost.com with:
yourhost.com. 3600 IN NS ns1.yourhost.com.
yourhost.com. 3600 IN NS ns2.yourhost.com.
ns1.yourhost.com. 3600 IN A 203.0.113.10
ns2.yourhost.com. 3600 IN A 198.51.100.20
(The addresses are documentation examples.) The A records must match the glue at the registrar exactly. RFC 1912 warns that duplicate glue causes stale addresses to persist, so change both together.
Step 4: add a secondary
Configure the second server as a secondary that receives the zone by transfer from the first, or run a hosted secondary service. Allow the transfer only to the secondary's address. The point is that either server can answer alone.
Step 5: point domains at them
At the registrar of each customer domain, or yours, set the nameservers to ns1.yourhost.com and ns2.yourhost.com. Create the matching zone on your servers before you change the list, otherwise the domain goes dark.
Step 6: test with dig
dig +trace NS example.com
dig NS example.com @ns1.yourhost.com +norecurse
dig NS example.com @ns2.yourhost.com +norecurse
dig +short A ns1.yourhost.com @a.gtld-servers.net
The trace should end on your servers. Each direct query should answer with an aa (authoritative answer) flag. The last query shows the glue the registry serves.
What causes lame delegation
RFC 1912 defines a lame delegation as a server named in NS records that does not answer for the zone, usually because it is not set up as primary or secondary. Typical causes:
- The registrar lists a nameserver you never created a zone on.
- A server was removed from the zone but still listed at the registrar. RFC 1912 says to keep answering on the old server while caches age out.
- Glue and A record disagree after an IP change.
- Port 53 blocked over TCP, so large answers fail.
Which setup should you pick
For a handful of domains, use your registrar's or a hosted DNS service and skip all this. For a hosting business, two branded names on two servers, with a panel that creates zones for every new account, is the usual choice. Mail records in those zones matter too, and setting up a mail server the right way covers them.
Questions
Do I need glue records?
Only when the nameserver name lives inside the domain it serves, such as ns1.example.com for example.com. Names under another domain need no glue.
How many nameservers do I need?
At least two, on different networks if you can. RFC 1912 also advises keeping the list short, with 7 as the recommended maximum.
Why is my new nameserver not used yet?
Registering a host record does not point your domain at it. You must also change the domain's nameserver list, and the parent zone's cached NS records take time to expire.
Can I use Cloudflare or another service as the secondary?
Yes, if the service can receive a zone transfer or act as secondary DNS. Check its plans, since not every plan offers it.
