This tutorial addresses the situation when you’re adding a domain to WEDOS Protection, but you don’t want to or can’t change its DNS servers to WEDOS. If you can use WEDOS DNS, set it according to the Domains – DNS Servers (NSSET) ⧉ manual or your registrar’s instructions.
In this article, you will learn:
- How to set up a third-party provider’s DNS for WEDOS Protection
- How to direct apex/root to WEDOS Protection
- WEDOS IP range list to allow at origin server
- How to change the DNS provider for an existing service
- Troubleshooting common issues
- Frequently asked questions
WEDOS Protection with Third-party DNS
If for some reason you cannot or do not want to change your domain DNS server provider to WEDOS, you can choose Custom NS (at your own risk) when adding the domain to WEDOS Global.
Since choosing Custom NS allows you to continue using the DNS servers of your original provider, you will have to make all changes to DNS records with this provider. Changes made to WEDOS DNS records will have no effect on the domain’s functionality.
Once you confirm this selection, follow these steps:
- Log into your current provider’s interface for managing your domain’s DNS records.
- Make sure to clear any existing DNS records set for www (alternatively *) or _acme-challenge.
- Add a pair of CNAME records to the DNS according to the instructions in the WEDOS Global administration. Both records must be entered correctly to complete the setup.
- Return to the WEDOS Global administration panel ⧉ to finalize set up.
Here is a sample entry of the required DNS records:
Name TTL Type Data
* 300 CNAME yourdomain.tld.wedos.global
_acme-challenge 300 CNAME _acme-challenge.yourdomain.tld.wedos.global
Keep in mind to enter the record names according to your DNS provider’s requirements. These may include:
- Full domain name, such as
www.domain.tld. - Subdomain only, such as
www. - Other notations, such as
www.@.
If you’re unsure, contact your DNS provider.
Apex / Root Domain
The above procedure will direct your www subdomain or all undefined subdomains (according to the selected CNAME record name) to WEDOS Protection servers. DNS standards do not allow CNAME records at the zone apex (root/second-level domain), so the apex needs to be handled differently from subdomains. Some DNS providers allow for ANAME/ALIAS or CNAME flattening (CNAME-like behavior at the apex/root) records at the apex/root domain. If your DNS provider does not support these record types then we recommend switching to WEDOS DNS.
If you also need to direct the apex/root/second-level domain to our reverse proxy, use one of the following procedures after successfully adding the domain to the system:
- Set the main domain’s ANAME or ALIAS record (if your provider supports it) to the same value you set as CNAME in the previous procedure.
- If your provider doesn’t support CNAME alternatives for the second-level domain, you can instead point the root domain to the WGP proxy using A (and AAAA records if provided) set to the service IP addresses listed in the WEDOS Global administration panel ⧉ domain details. We do not recommend this, however, as these IPs may be subject to change.
If possible, avoid entering WEDOS Protection proxy IPs as A/AAAA records directly. Since we cannot change these records in another provider’s DNS (we can only change WEDOS DNS records and CNAME values), if a change occurs, it’s up to you to update the values with that provider. Until then, your website may be unavailable.
Server Setup
If you use the WEDOS Protection service with a hosting service other than WEDOS Webhosting, make sure that your server and hosting service provider allows traffic from Global’s network server IP addresses only. This way all traffic must pass through our proxy server. You can retrieve a complete list of addresses from the following URLs:
Change Existing Service DNS Provider
If you need to change the DNS servers of an existing WEDOS Protection service to another provider, follow these steps:
- Prepare DNS zone with new DNS provider and lower TTLs in both DNS zones to minimize downtime.
- Change of the domain’s DNS servers (for domains registered with WEDOS according to the instructions Domains – DNS Servers (NSSET) ⧉).
- Remove the domain from the WEDOS Protection system according to the Protection – Deactivate instructions.
- Re-add the domain with a new DNS provider according to the instructions in the WEDOS Protection with Third-party DNS chapter.
Changing DNS servers is a gradual process and can take hours, or in some cases days. To minimize downtime, set up the correct DNS records as soon as possible, or direct your domain directly to your web hosting for the necessary time.
Removing and re-adding a domain from/to the WEDOS Global system does not affect existing subscriptions.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Common issues with DNS setup for WEDOS Global with a third-party provider include:
Cannot Set CNAME Record
Issue: An error occurs when trying to set the required CNAME record.
Cause: There is probably a conflict with an existing record with the same name.
Solution: Make sure there are no conflicting entries in the DNS records that have the same name as the record you are adding. If you find such records, delete them. In case of doubt or other problem, contact the support of your DNS provider. Include the domain name and the text of the error message.
CNAME Doesn’t Work
Issue: The required records are successfully set, but the system does not reflect them.
Cause: Most often, the record is invalid. Less often, the issue is caused by delayed DNS record propagation.
Solution: Make sure you are entering DNS records with the correct provider. If your domain does not use WEDOS DNS, changes in our system have no effect on the domain’s DNS records.
Next, check that you have entries entered for the correct subdomains, i.e. www (alternatively *) and _acme-challenge. Save these records and wait for them to propagate within DNS, which is usually a matter of several tens of minutes to hours. If you are not sure how to enter and save the records for these subdomains, or if you need information about the time needed for them to propagate, contact the support of your DNS provider.
Finally, check the CNAME record names and data. The most common issue here is the missing underscore _ in either the record name or data.
FAQ
Is there an easier procedure to set up WEDOS Protection on my domain?
The easiest way is to set up WEDOS DNS servers (NSSET) ⧉, where we can make all the necessary record changes automatically for you.