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To run branded nameservers such as ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com from a Virtualmin VPS, configure four matching layers: register both hostnames as child nameservers (glue) at your domain registrar, delegate the domain to them, create matching A records in Virtualmin, and make Virtualmin’s DNS template advertise the same NS names. Virtualmin cannot create registrar glue records for you.
After the records agree, verify delegation with whois and host. Virtualmin says DNS changes can take from a few hours up to 48 hours to propagate, so test from more than one resolver before treating a recent change as failed.
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A branded nameserver is not created by adding one DNS record in Virtualmin. Four separate pieces must describe the same service:
- Child-host (glue) registration at the registrar: the registrar publishes that
ns1.example.comandns2.example.comare nameserver hosts and associates each with an IP address. - Domain delegation: the registrar sets the domain’s authoritative NS set to those hostnames.
- Address records in the authoritative zone: the zone served by Virtualmin contains A records mapping each nameserver hostname to its intended public IP.
- Virtualmin’s defaults: the server template tells newly created virtual servers which nameservers to place in their zones.
Virtualmin’s own guidance summarizes the critical relationship: “NS (Name Server) records on your Virtualmin server should align with your glue records.” See Virtualmin’s DNS troubleshooting documentation for the registrar and server-side checks.
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When Virtualmin hosts DNS, BIND is the local DNS server component. A second hostname on the same VPS does not create a second failure domain: both names still depend on that one machine, its network path, and its BIND service. Independent resilience requires another DNS server.
Before you start: prerequisites and decisions
- A fresh supported operating system: use an operating system supported by your Virtualmin release. The Virtualmin download page and automated installation guide describe supported installation options.
- A VPS public IP: know the public address (or addresses) that should answer for
ns1andns2. You will enter the same values at the registrar and in the Virtualmin zone. - A proper server hostname: set the VPS hostname before creating hosted domains, rather than leaving a provider’s temporary name.
- A domain you control: the registrar account must allow you to create registered hosts or child nameservers, often labeled “glue records.”
- A clear DNS ownership plan: decide whether this VPS will be the only DNS server or whether you will add an independent secondary server later.
Virtualmin’s installation guidance expects a supported OS and a domain whose DNS records can point to the server’s public IP. If the domain still points elsewhere, complete the registrar-side changes in the sequence below before diagnosing Virtualmin.
Set up ns1 and ns2 step by step
1. Install Virtualmin and prepare the VPS
Install Virtualmin on the fresh supported operating system using the vendor’s documented process. During preparation, assign the intended hostname and confirm the VPS public IP. Do not proceed with made-up private addresses: the registrar’s child-host entries must use addresses reachable for authoritative DNS.
Create or identify the primary domain that will contain the nameserver records, for example example.com. The nameserver hostnames will be ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com; substitute your own domain throughout the procedure.
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2. Register the child nameservers (glue) at the registrar
Open the domain registrar’s management panel and find the feature named “Registered hosts,” “Child nameservers,” “Host records,” or “Glue records.” Create two hosts:
| Host | Address to enter | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
ns1.example.com |
Public IP intended for ns1 | First branded nameserver host |
ns2.example.com |
Public IP intended for ns2 | Second branded nameserver host |
The registrar’s interface may ask for only the host label (ns1) or the full name. Follow its field format, but verify that the resulting registered host is the complete hostname. Virtualmin cannot create or edit these glue records; only the registrar account can do that.
Registering hosts is separate from delegating the domain. After the child-host entries exist, set the domain’s nameserver/delegation settings to use ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com. If the registrar shows old nameservers, replace them with the two new names.
3. Add matching A records in Virtualmin
In Virtualmin, select the primary domain and open DNS Settings → DNS Records. Add an A record for each nameserver hostname:
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| Record name | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
ns1.example.com |
A | The same public IP entered for the ns1 glue host |
ns2.example.com |
A | The same public IP entered for the ns2 glue host |
Use the exact hostnames and addresses from the registrar. A typo, a missing domain suffix, or an address that differs by one digit creates two conflicting descriptions of the nameserver. Save the zone and allow BIND to reload through Virtualmin’s normal DNS update.
4. Set the nameserver defaults in the Virtualmin server template
To make future virtual servers receive the branded nameservers automatically, open:
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Set Primary DNS server hostname to ns1.example.com. In Additional manually configured nameservers, add ns2.example.com. Save the template.
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This template controls the NS set written when new hosted domains are created. Changing the template does not retroactively repair every existing zone; inspect an existing domain’s DNS records if it was created before the template was corrected.
5. Confirm the delegated NS set at the registrar
Return to the registrar’s nameserver settings and verify that the domain is delegated to exactly the hostnames you configured. The delegated set should be ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com, not the VPS provider’s temporary names or a mixture of old and new servers.
There are now two registrar-side objects to check: the registered child hosts with their IP addresses, and the domain delegation that names those hosts. Both must be saved; creating glue without changing delegation leaves the domain using its previous nameservers.
6. Test the four records from a shell
Virtualmin documents these commands for checking registrar data, delegation, and address resolution:
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whois example.com
Use the output to inspect the registrar’s delegation and, where shown, the registered nameserver hosts.host -t NS example.com
Confirm that the returned NS records arens1.example.comandns2.example.com.host example.com
Check that the domain resolves to the expected address records.host example.com ns1.example.com
Ask the named server directly. A successful answer demonstrates that the named host can answer for the zone.
Run the checks again after correcting any discrepancy. The important comparison is not just whether each command returns an answer, but whether the names and addresses are identical across the registrar glue, delegated NS records, and Virtualmin zone.
Why custom nameservers return SERVFAIL
SERVFAIL means a resolver could not obtain a usable authoritative answer. With a new Virtualmin setup, start with the relationships below rather than repeatedly changing unrelated records.
| What you observe | Likely cause | Correction |
|---|---|---|
host -t NS example.com shows old or unexpected names |
The domain is still delegated to the previous nameservers. | At the registrar, replace the delegation with ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com, then allow propagation. |
| The NS names are correct, but the nameserver host does not resolve | The child host was not registered at the registrar, or its glue address is wrong. | Create or correct the registered host/child nameserver entry at the registrar. Virtualmin cannot perform this operation. |
| The glue address and the answer from Virtualmin differ | The registrar glue IP and the zone’s A record are inconsistent. | Make the registrar host address and the A record under DNS Settings → DNS Records identical. |
| New domains advertise different NS records | The server template still contains another primary or additional nameserver. | Set the template’s Primary DNS server hostname and Additional manually configured nameservers to the intended branded hosts. |
| Direct testing works, but some users still receive failures | Resolvers are seeing cached data during the delegation change. | Wait for propagation and retest from multiple networks. Virtualmin’s guidance is from a few hours up to 48 hours, not an absolute guarantee. |
| Both nameservers fail when the VPS is unavailable | Both hostnames point to one machine, so there is no independent failure domain. | Add a secondary DNS server on another system using Virtualmin’s secondary-DNS workflow. |
When comparing records, use the complete fully qualified names. Treat ns1, ns1.example.com, and a nameserver belonging to another domain as different values; the registrar delegation, glue host, A record, and zone NS record must refer to the same intended host.
Propagation: what to expect after a change
Registrar updates and DNS answers are cached by recursive resolvers. Virtualmin states that DNS changes may take “from a few hours to up to 48 hours” to propagate. This is vendor guidance rather than a universal deadline, so a result can differ between your local resolver and another network during the interval.
Keep a written copy of the intended pair and addresses while waiting. Re-run host -t NS example.com and the direct query through ns1.example.com after the change. If the direct query remains wrong after propagation, fix the underlying registrar or Virtualmin record rather than waiting longer.
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Add an independent secondary DNS server
Using two names such as ns1 and ns2 on one VPS provides branding and a two-name NS set, but it does not protect against failure of that VPS. For independence, place secondary DNS on another server and transfer zones from the Virtualmin machine.
- Prepare the second DNS-capable server and make sure its public address is known.
- In Webmin, open Servers → BIND DNS Server → Cluster Secondary Servers.
- Enable creation of secondary zones on the secondary server.
- In the BIND module configuration on the primary, set the primary server’s external IP address.
- Use the secondary-DNS instructions to establish the primary/secondary relationship, then confirm that the secondary receives the zones.
The exact transfer and cluster settings depend on the servers involved, so follow Virtualmin’s secondary DNS procedure while applying the workflow above. After the secondary is serving a zone, register its hostname and address as an additional delegated nameserver at the registrar, and ensure the NS set in each zone reflects the nameservers you actually operate.
Quick Recap
One VPS or an independent secondary?
| Consideration | Both names on one Virtualmin VPS | Separate secondary DNS server |
|---|---|---|
| Failure independence | None: both names depend on the same VPS. | Improved, because a second system can answer if the primary VPS is unavailable. |
| Configuration effort | Registrar glue, Virtualmin A records, delegation, and template settings. | Those steps plus BIND secondary-zone and zone-transfer configuration. |
| Branded nameserver control | Full control of the ns1/ns2 hostnames that point to the VPS. | Control depends on the hostnames and addresses assigned to the additional server. |
| Cost | No fixed amount is specified by Virtualmin; you still need the registrar and VPS services you choose. | No fixed amount is specified; an additional server or secondary DNS service adds whatever charge its provider sets. |
| Best fit | Small deployments where simplicity matters more than DNS-server redundancy. | Services that need DNS to remain available during a primary VPS outage. |
Final verification checklist
- The VPS runs a supported operating system and has the intended hostname and public IP.
- The registrar has registered
ns1.example.comandns2.example.comas child hosts with the intended addresses. - The domain delegation lists those same two nameservers.
- Virtualmin’s primary-domain zone has A records for both hostnames with matching addresses.
- The server template names
ns1.example.comas primary andns2.example.comas an additional nameserver. whois,host -t NS, and directhostqueries show consistent results.- You have allowed for propagation before judging a recent registrar change, while still correcting any persistent mismatch.
- If DNS must survive a VPS outage, a genuinely separate secondary server is configured through the BIND cluster workflow.
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