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My domain or DNS isn't resolving

Maxim Tsitsejev
Updated

Applies to: All plans (Self-Managed and Managed).

If your domain "isn't resolving" — it won't load, it loads the wrong site, or a tool reports "server not found" — the cause is almost always one of three things: the domain points at the wrong nameservers, a DNS record is missing or incorrect, or a recent change hasn't propagated yet. This article helps you tell them apart and sends you to the right fix.

Two facts to keep handy: your Maxinodes nameservers are ns1.maxinodes.com and ns2.maxinodes.com, and your website's A record should point at 185.185.49.198, with its AAAA record pointing at 2a00:7c80:0:286:c::10 for IPv6.

Symptoms

  • The domain won't load at all, or your browser shows "This site can't be reached" or "server IP address could not be found".
  • A DNS lookup tool returns NXDOMAIN, SERVFAIL, or no record.
  • The domain loads a different host's page, an old site, or a "coming soon" placeholder.
  • One thing works but another doesn't — for example the website loads but email stopped, or www works but the bare domain doesn't.
  • A subdomain you created isn't reachable.

Common causes (most likely first)

  1. Wrong nameservers. The domain still points at your old host or registrar, so it never reaches our DNS. This is the most common cause right after you move to us, or if you changed nameservers and they didn't save.
  2. A missing or incorrect record. The zone is here, but the specific record (A for the website, MX for email, CNAME for a subdomain, TXT for verification) is absent or has the wrong value.
  3. You edited DNS in the wrong place. At Maxinodes, live DNS runs on our own nameservers and is managed in the client area. The cPanel zone editor does not control your live DNS — edits there have no effect.
  4. Propagation delay. A nameserver or record change is correct but hasn't reached your network yet. This usually clears in minutes to a few hours, up to ~24–48 hours worst case, governed by the record's TTL.
  5. A caching trick. Your browser, device, or ISP cached the old answer, so only you still see the problem.

Quick fixes

Work through these in order.

  1. Rule out caching. Try the domain in a private/incognito window, on a different device, and on mobile data. If it works anywhere, it's a cache that will clear — give it time.
  2. Check your nameservers. They must be exactly ns1.maxinodes.com and ns2.maxinodes.com, set at the registrar where the domain lives. If they're wrong, fix them — see How to point your domain to Maxinodes (set your nameservers). If we're your registrar, set them under Domains -> My Domains in the client area.
  3. Check your records — in the client area. In my.maxinodes.com, open the DNS manager for your hosting service and confirm: an A record for your site pointing at 185.185.49.198, plus any www, CNAME, MX or TXT records you need. Do this here, not in the cPanel zone editor, which does not control live DNS. See How to manage DNS records in your client area.
  4. Match the symptom to the record. A website that won't load needs the A record above. Email that isn't flowing needs your MX/SPF/DKIM/DMARC records — see The DNS records your email needs. A subdomain needs its own A or CNAME record.
  5. Allow time to propagate. If everything looks right but it still won't resolve, you're likely waiting on propagation. See How long does DNS propagation take?.

Result: Once the nameservers point at us, the right records exist in the client area, and propagation finishes, the domain resolves to your site (and free SSL is issued automatically).

If that did not work

  • It loads the wrong site rather than failing entirely? That's a slightly different problem — see My domain isn't loading the right site.
  • It loads but shows a security warning? That's SSL, not DNS — see My SSL or HTTPS isn't working.
  • Still stuck? Contact us with your domain, the exact error text (e.g. "server IP address could not be found", "NXDOMAIN"), what you changed and when, and whether the problem affects the website, email, or both. On Managed plans we'll dig in for you; on Self-Managed we'll point you to the exact fix.

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