Never thought it was possible to move from one host to another in 15 minutes?
Most people when they purchase a domain and hosting make use of the namservers provided by their web host. Instinctively they go and update the nameservers at the registrar and then wait for up to 72 hours for the domain to move from one server to the other.
Most customers describe this delay as some of the most stressful time in their hosting experience. During that time most people worry about emails being missed, their site being down and basically the unknown. What causes the most stress I think, is the host, registrar and end-user’s lack of control over speeding up the process.
Okay I get it, now what?
I would definitely suggest using an External DNS service for any domain you own. With an external DNS service you use their nameservers once and when you choose to move from one server to another, you simply update your IP and the change is done in usually under 15 minutes.
The two that I have used in the past are:
- DNS Made Easy – This is a paid service with a 100% up time. They provide exceptional DNS services with great support. The user interface is very easy to use but provides a lot of options. Price per year is $14.95 USD for up to 3 domains.
- ZoneEdit – This is a free service with a spotty up time history (remember you get what you pay for). They provide okay DNS services with little to no support. The user interface is difficult to use yet provides the same options as DNS Made Easy. Price per year is Free for up to 5 domains.
Have you ever used a Managed DNS service before? How would you rate them?
This post was guest blogged by Gary Jones from BlueFur.com. BlueFur provides Dedicated Servers in Canada like the one that runs John Chow’s site.