If you run your WordPress site on our Raidboxes servers (we call this a box) and your domain is with another provider, you connect the domain to your box by adjusting DNS settings with your domain provider.
This article explains step by step how to change your domain's DNS settings and what you need to bear in mind. You will find general instructions and a list of specific instructions for individual domain providers.
Domain name vs. DNS entries vs. IP addresses - explained briefly
DNS (Domain Name System) is like the address book of the internet. It translates the domain names you enter into your browser into the IP addresses that computers use to find websites. For your WordPress site (your box) to be accessible under your domain, the DNS entries of your domain must point to the IP address(es) of your box.
Why do DNS settings have to be changed after a migration?
🏡 Imagine you have relocated. Your name (your domain) remains the same, but you now live at a new address (IP address of the server). To ensure that your visitors and your packages continue to reach you, you must notify the post office of your new address (you enter the IP address(es) of the new server with the domain provider).
The same applies to DNS entries for your website. The domain (your name) remains the same, but the website has moved to a new server with a different IP address (new address). To ensure that visitors can find your website, you have to change these DNS records (new address).
Forwarding during automatic migration to Raidboxes 2.0 infrastructure
🧷 During a phase 2 migration to our new Raidboxes 2.0 infrastructure, we will set up a 14-day forwarding proxy. This can be compared to a temporary redirection request at the post office. This allows your visitors to continue to access your website while you have 14 days to update the DNS entries.
How do you determine the IP address of your (new) server?
In your Box dashboard, you will find a “Domains” tile. In the lower part of this tile, you will find the information you need: the IPv4 address for the DNS-A record and, for boxes on our new Raidboxes 2.0 infrastructure, the IPv6 address for the DNS-AAAA record.
How to change your DNS records - general instructions
Following are the necessary steps to connect your domain to your (new) box - described in general terms. Detailed instructions for the individual domain providers such as Strato, IONOS, etc. can be found in the specific articles linked below.
Log in to your domain provider:
Open the website of your domain provider and log in to your account.
Navigate to the DNS settings:
In your account, search for the area where you can change DNS settings. This may be named differently depending on the provider, e.g. “DNS Management”, “DNS Settings” or “Zone File Editor”.
Find the existing A and AAAA records *:
You should see a list of the current DNS records. Look for the entries marked as “A” (for IPv4) and “AAAA” (for IPv6).
Edit the records:
For IPv4 and IPv6 servers:
Copy the IP addresses of your box one after the other and change the existing A record to the IPv4 address and add a new AAAA record with the IPv6 address.
Save and wait:
Save your changes. It can take a few minutes up to 24 hours for the changes to take effect worldwide.
Different variants with different providers
💡 Different domain providers use different methods to address the main domain. For example, the @ sign, the asterisk (*) or a completely empty field (as with Raidboxes).
👉 If you change your DNS entries, use the existing entries as a guide and only edit those that are actually linked to your box. If you have linked a subdomain such as blog.your-domain.com to your box, only change the DNS settings for this subdomain.
How to change your DNS records with your provider
In the following articles you will find detailed and specific instructions for exactly your domain provider; e.g. Strato, IONOS, All-Inkl, etc.
Change DNS settings at Strato (de only)
Change DNS settings at IONOS / 1&1 (de only)
Change DNS settings at HostEurope (de only)
DomainFactory (to follow)
Change DNS settings at United-Domains (de only)
Change DNS settings at All-Inkl. (de only)
Inwx (to follow)
World4You (to follow)
Netcup (follows)
Hetzner (follows)
CheckDomain (follows)
EasyName (to follow)
Your domain provider is not listed and the general instructions do not work? You can usually find instructions for DNS changes in your provider's HelpCenter. You can also ask in our support chat - we will be happy to help you take the right steps.
How to find out where your domain is registered
If you are not sure about your domain provider, you can use a service such as DNS Checker to search for the name servers (NS). These often provide information about the provider.
* What are DNS-A and DNS-AAAA records?
DNS-A record: Links your domain to an IPv4 address.
DNS-AAAA record: Links your domain to an IPv6 address.
Our Raidboxes 2.0 boxes support both IPv4 and IPv6. Boxes on the legacy infrastructure only use the IPv4 address. In this case you only need to change the DNS-A entry.
Important information
Edit only relevant records: Only change the A and AAAA records that are actually connected to your website. You should not change other records to avoid problems with other services.
Save data: Before you make any changes, make a backup of your current DNS settings to be on the safe side.
Use support: If you are unsure or need help, our support team will be happy to assist you.
These steps will ensure that your WordPress site is correctly connected to your domain and can be reached without any problems. In the next few articles, we will go into detail about the specific steps for different domain providers.