Note
As of May 2023, NS1 will resume randomizing nameserver assignments upon zone creation. This comes after a period during which only one NS1 nameserver pool was assigned to all zones. Alternatively, you can contact NS1 customer support to request nameserver pinning, where all zones in your account have the same nameserver assignment. You need not request it again if you previously enabled nameserver pinning for your account. With questions or to enable nameserver pinning, please submit a support ticket.
This article explains nameserver assignments, variability, and pinning on the NS1 platform. Refer to the end of the article for related FAQs.
NS1 nameserver assignments vary depending on the DNS network(s) to which a zone is published.
The shared NS1 Managed DNS network (network 0) uses several nameserver pools or groups of nameservers, which are randomly assigned to published zones. Nameservers in this network include dns[1-4].p[01-10].nsone.net. Upon publishing a zone to the Managed DNS network, an NS record is automatically generated containing a list of its assigned nameservers.
For example, if your zone is assigned to pool 6 (as in, p06), then the NS record would contain the following answers — one for each nameserver in the pool:
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dns1.p06.nsone.net
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dns2.p06.nsone.net
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dns3.p06.nsone.net
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dns4.p06.nsone.net
You can override the assigned nameservers by editing the NS record to point to a different NS1 nameserver pool (pools 01-10) in the Managed DNS network. This is possible because all Managed DNS nameservers (excluding those for dedicated namespaces) will answer any NS1 zone published to the shared Managed DNS network.
Zones published to other NS1 networks — such as a dedicated namespace within the Managed DNS network, an NS1 Dedicated DNS network, or NS1 Managed DNS for China network — are assigned different nameservers specific to those networks. In other words, networks other
Note
Ensure nameserver delegation at the registrar matches the nameservers listed in the zone’s NS record. If they do not match, you may experience issues if you use DNS checking tools and there are mismatches between the delegation and the NS record or when DNSSEC is enabled.
On the NS1 platform, nameserver variability refers to the randomization of nameserver assignments applied to NS1 zones. When you create a new zone, an NS record is automatically generated containing multiple answers — one for each of the nameservers in the assigned pool. Zones published to the shared Managed DNS network (network 0) are randomized by default, so each of your zones may have different assigned nameservers.
If you prefer that all your zones always have the same nameserver assignments, you can request nameserver pinning for your account by submitting a support ticket. The NS1 customer support team will review your account to determine the best nameserver pool to assign to your zones. Pinning your nameserver assignments can simplify nameserver delegation at the domain registrar.
While enabling nameserver pinning on your account, you can ask the NS1 support team to update your existing NS records to match the pinned nameserver pool.
Note
Nameserver variability applies only to Managed DNS nameserver assignments. Zones published to any other NS1 network use a different set of nameservers that will be the same for all zones published to those networks.
Pinning your nameserver pool assignments can simplify nameserver delegation at the domain registrar, especially if you manage many domains. Since all of your NS1 zones will be assigned the same set of nameservers, you can automate delegation to use the same nameserver addresses instead of delegating each domain individually.
No. Unless you have applied or will apply advanced automation configured between NS1 and a third-party platform requiring consistent nameserver assignments, you likely do not need to enable nameserver pinning.
If I enable nameserver pinning, will the NS records in my existing zones be updated with the pinned pool?
No. Enabling nameserver pinning does not automatically update your existing NS records — however, you can request that the NS1 customer support team do so upon enabling the feature.
Yes. However, DNS checking services might indicate that the NS set of the parent zone (as in, the TLD zone hosted elsewhere) does not match the NS set of the child zone (as in, the zone hosted by NS1). While this should not cause significant issues, it is generally considered best practice to ensure the zone’s NS record matches those delegated at the domain registrar.
Contact the NS1 support team for guidance on setting up vanity nameservers.