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Setting up DNS record in Windows 2003 properly, a tutorial / reference.

Warning, I'm no expert, I only go with what works!

1. Install Windows DNS Server (dah!) Start --> Control Panel --> Add or Remove Program --> Add/Remove Windows Components --> Networking Services (double click) --> Check the box next to Domain Name System (DNS) -- > Click OK and supply whatever may be needed which typically the windows install disk or the location of the install files on the hard drive.

2. Run "%SystemRoot%\system32\dnsmgmt.msc /s" fro mthe command line or look for the DNS icon under administrative tools

3. Use my template! Click here download it or Copy Paste this into a file called YOURWEBSITE.com.dns:
; ; Database file YOURWEBSITE.com.dns for YOURWEBSITE.com zone. ; Zone version: 2006021235 ; @ IN SOA ns0.YOURWEBSITE.com. hostmaster.YOURWEBSITE.com. ( 2006021235 ; serial number 1200 ; refresh 600 ; retry 1209600 ; expire 3600 ) ; default TTL ; ; Zone NS records ; @ NS ns0.YOURWEBSITE.com. @ NS ns1.YOURWEBSITE.com. ; ; Zone records ; @ A 72.22.74.22 @ MX 10 mail.YOURWEBSITE.com. @ TXT ( "v=spf1 a mx ~all" ) ftp A 72.22.74.22 mail A 72.22.74.22 mjsspot A 72.22.74.22 mssql A 72.22.74.22 ns0 A 72.22.74.22 ns1 A 72.22.74.22 stats A 72.22.74.22 webmail A 72.22.74.22 www CNAME YOURWEBSITE.com.

4. Change YOURSITE to your sites domain name!  You can open the DNS files with notepad for editing. Save this file to: C:\WINDOWS\system32\dns

5. Import that The above, right click "Forward Lookup Zones", left click "New Zone", Click Next, Primary Zone

The Zone Name is the name of your site e.g. YOURSITE.com, click Next

Click next and you are done! Using this method I have created DNS records for at least 10 sites that get a completely clean report from http://www.DNSReport.com  ... now you can change things like the some of the CNAME's or A records, not everyone will want http://webmail.YOURSITE.com but the typical setup will use all the records I gave you in my template

Check out this websites report (the only error is about the the "name servers" being in different locations which I cant afford but everything else checks out AOK!