how to point subdomain to another server that does not have a domain yet?

14,338

Solution 1

If I understand your question correctly, your infrastructure looks like this:

Server A is a DNS server and does not host any websites
Server A has an A Record for yourdomain.com that points to ServerB-IP
Server B is an IIS server hosting http://yourdomain.com
You would like Server B to also host http://subdomain.yourdomain.com

In this instance, you need to create an additional CNAME record subdomain.yourdomain.com and point it at ServerB-IP like the original A record.

Then on IIS on Server B, you need to configure it to serve a different site depending on the Host Header Name. See the following link for a full explaination:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/WindowsServer2003/Library/IIS/b77cf015-017f-489c-9b5b-65ca4a679392.mspx?mfr=true

Apologies in advance if I've guessed incorrectly, and you're not in a Windows/IIS environment.

There's another guide for this here:

http://content.websitegear.com/article/subdomain_setup.htm

If I've misread your question and your website is currently hosted entirely on Server A, but you want only a specific subdomain to redirect to server B, then you need to create a second A Record, and set it to subdomain.mydomain.com pointing at the IP for Server B. Then you install IIS on Server B and setup the subdomain web content.

Solution 2

It's pretty straightforward really, you just need to a new A record for the domain at your domain registrant. I am using GoDaddy, so this is how it worked for me:

Log into account
Open the Domain Manager
Click the domain you are working with
Click "Total DNS Control and MX Records"
The first group in this area should be A (Host), on the top right of this bar, click Add New A Record
Enter the host name, in my case it was "test.knowaptitude.in"
Enter the IP address of the server you wish to point at.

14,338

jan

Updated on September 17, 2022

Comments

jan almost 2 years

I want to know if this is still possible.. How can i point my subdomain from one server (server A) to another (server b) if server b does not have a domain yet, only server hosting.

Basically what i'm doing right now is add A Record from server A DNS and point it to server B IP address. Can I add that same subdomain record on server B for then?

Confused.
- bortzmeyer over 14 years
  
  The question is very confused, with a lot of strange vocabulary (what is "pointing a subdomain from a server"???). Is Chris Thorpe's rewriting correct?
jan over 14 years

I apologize if i got you guys confused on this as i am not so familiar with these thingy. 3 servers : - SERVER A is a hosting server. - SERVER B is a DNS server - SERVER C is another hosting server (IIS Server) * SERVER A holds the main website pages (e.g. www.isolutions.com) * SERVER B contains DNS records that points to SERVER A - SERVER C does not have any domain name registered yet so it is just an IP address. I wanted to make a subdomain for isolutions.com we call it bankin.isolutions.com and this time have it point to SERVER C instead. SERVER C is a windows server.
jan over 14 years

i have access to the dns settings of server b. its in asiaregistry.com the thing is i have added already an A record that points to server c but i get dns unresolved name error... what do i have to do next?
Aashraya Singal over 14 years

Gotcha jan ;) You need to create a CName record on SERVER B for 'bankin.isolutions.com' which points to SERVER C IP address. No domain registration is necessary for a subdomain, if you already own the parent domain name.
jan over 14 years

thanks chris! im with asiaregistry.com as my dns provider now the problem is when i add a cname record it asks for host and a hostname it wont let me enter an IP address. and i can't put any hostname because they don't have a domain... or am i doin something else wrong?
Aashraya Singal over 14 years

hostname should be 'bankin' or the fqdn bankin.isolutions.com
jan over 14 years

i'm putting host: to be the IP address and the hostname to be bankin.isolutions.com i hope I am doing it right. thanks chris! i will check on it after a few days.
jan over 14 years

chris you are super! i just tried it and it now works! like a charm! thanks!