Private nameservers for white-label agency hosting

Private nameservers let your agency brand the DNS infrastructure for all client domains. Instead of clients seeing UnderHost's nameservers, they use your custom hostnames like ns1.yourbrand.com and ns2.yourbrand.com. This is a core feature of white-label reseller hosting and strengthens client relationships.

Why use private nameservers?

Private nameservers create a seamless white-label experience. When clients update their domain registrar to point to your custom nameservers, they see your agency brand everywhere:

• Clients control their DNS records through your branded panel
• Clients' domain registrars show your nameserver hostnames, not UnderHost's
• All DNS lookups show your branding in whois/dig results
• Strengthens the perception that you're the authoritative hosting provider
• Facilitates client upsells (they're fully locked into your brand)

Without private nameservers: Clients see UnderHost nameservers (e.g., ns1.underhost.com), which breaks the white-label illusion and reveals you're reselling.

Private vs standard nameservers

Prerequisites before setting up

Before you begin, ensure:

1. Your plan includes private nameservers: Check your UnderHost reseller agreement. Not all plans include this feature; premium reseller plans do.
2. You own an agency domain: Choose a domain you control and want to use for nameserver hostnames (e.g., yourbrand.com). This domain must already be registered and you must control the registrar account.
3. UnderHost has provided nameserver IPs: UnderHost support will give you 2-3 IP addresses to use for your private nameservers. Have these ready.
4. Registrar account access: You need to log into your domain registrar to create glue records.

Understanding glue records

A glue record is a registrar-level DNS entry that maps your custom nameserver hostname to an IP address.

Why glue records are necessary: When a domain points to nameservers, the DNS resolver needs to know the IP address of those nameservers. If your nameserver ns1.yourbrand.com lives on yourbrand.com, and yourbrand.com points to ns1.yourbrand.com, that's circular. Glue records break this loop by telling the registrar: "ns1.yourbrand.com has IP address X.X.X.X".

Example glue record setup:

# Agency domain: yourbrand.com

# Glue records registered at the registrar:
ns1.yourbrand.com  →  203.0.113.1
ns2.yourbrand.com  →  203.0.113.2

# Client domain (mysite.com) points to:
Nameserver 1: ns1.yourbrand.com
Nameserver 2: ns2.yourbrand.com

# DNS resolution flow:
1. Resolver queries mysite.com nameservers
2. Registrar responds with ns1.yourbrand.com, ns2.yourbrand.com
3. Resolver looks up ns1.yourbrand.com
4. Registrar provides glue record: 203.0.113.1 (no circular loop!)
5. Resolver queries 203.0.113.1 for mysite.com DNS records

Step-by-step setup

1. Contact UnderHost support: Request setup of private nameservers for your reseller account. Ask for:
   • Nameserver IP addresses (usually 2-3 IPs)
   • Confirmation that private nameservers are enabled on your account
   • Any registrar-specific setup instructions
2. Log into your domain registrar: Access the registrar where yourbrand.com is registered (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.)
3. Find glue record settings: The exact location varies by registrar:
   • GoDaddy: Domain Settings → Nameservers → "Add Nameserver" or "Child Nameservers"
   • Namecheap: Domain List → Manage → Nameservers → "Create Nameserver"
   • UnderHost: If yourbrand.com is hosted at UnderHost, use the registrar interface in cPanel
   • Other: Search for "Child Nameservers," "Host Records," or "Register Nameserver"
4. Create nameserver entries: Add two or more glue records:
   • Hostname: ns1.yourbrand.com → IP: 203.0.113.1 (or UnderHost-provided IP)
   • Hostname: ns2.yourbrand.com → IP: 203.0.113.2 (or UnderHost-provided IP)
5. Save changes: Confirm and save. DNS propagation takes 24-48 hours for glue records to propagate globally.
6. Notify UnderHost: Email UnderHost support confirming you've created the glue records. They'll activate private nameserver functionality on your account.

Verify your nameserver setup

After 24-48 hours, test that your private nameservers are working:

nslookup ns1.yourbrand.com
# Should return: Address: 203.0.113.1

nslookup ns2.yourbrand.com
# Should return: Address: 203.0.113.2

# Or use dig:
dig ns1.yourbrand.com
# Should show: ns1.yourbrand.com. X IN A 203.0.113.1

Test with UnderHost's tool: Use UnderHost DNS Check or similar DNS checker to verify nameserver resolution from multiple locations worldwide.

Pointing client domains to your nameservers

Once your private nameservers are active, point each client domain to your nameservers:

1. Create client in your reseller account: In your UnderHost reseller panel, create a new customer account for the client and provision hosting.
2. Provide nameserver details to client: Send client:

   Nameserver 1: ns1.yourbrand.com
   Nameserver 2: ns2.yourbrand.com

3. Client updates their registrar: Client logs into THEIR domain registrar (wherever they registered their domain) and changes nameservers to your custom nameservers.
4. Wait for propagation: DNS changes propagate in 24-48 hours. During this time, traffic may be inconsistent.
5. Verify with dig/nslookup: After propagation, confirm:

   dig clientdomain.com NS
   # Should show: clientdomain.com. IN NS ns1.yourbrand.com, ns2.yourbrand.com

Pro tip for DNS cutovers: Plan nameserver changes during low-traffic times (early morning, weekends). Lower TTL (Time To Live) values on DNS records 24 hours before the cutover for faster propagation.

Troubleshooting common issues

Glue records not showing up after 48 hours:

• Registrar may require additional confirmation (check email for verification links)
• Some registrars have separate "activate" buttons for child nameservers
• Contact registrar support if still not working

Client domains not resolving with new nameservers:

• Verify client properly updated their registrar (not just cPanel nameservers)
• Wait 24-48 hours for full DNS propagation
• Use dig @ns1.yourbrand.com clientdomain.com to query the nameserver directly

WHM/cPanel branding vs private nameservers: If you operate your own cPanel/WHM server (not UnderHost managed), separate WHM nameserver settings exist. Follow UnderHost support guidance for your specific setup.

Related: Reseller hosting overview | White-label branding | Nameserver guide | Configure DNS | DNS propagation

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