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I run a Virtual Private Server on which I host a number of websites using a single IP address. I need to configure Reverse DNS for each domain. Is this possible and what is the best way to go about this?

My server is running Cpanel/WHM and is correctly configured as it's own DNS server. I also run a separate editDNS.net account which holds the DNS records for the primary server domain.

Here is a diagram of the setup. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/25827319/dnsmap.png

Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Luke McCallum
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1 Answers1

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Technically you could create multiple PTR records that point to the same IP and put in each the name of the site or whatever. But there's really no reason to do that.

Create one PTR record for the one IP address and put in it the host name of the server.

It's common to host multiple web sites on one IP or to have one IP used for sending mail for many email domains. People don't generally create dozens/hundreds/thousands of PTR records for this situation, they just create one that maps to the server name.

Also, you mention the servers you are hosting DNS on. That's great but you probably won't be creating the PTR record there. Most likely the entity that owns the reverse zones for that IP is whomever you got that IP address from (the VPS company or their ISP or whatever) so you'll probably be asking them to create the PTR record on your behalf which is common.

icky3000
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  • Hi Icky, thanks for your feedback. the main reason for my question is regarding Email deliverability. Our server dispatches a large number of marketing emails. To stay out of the spam box I have configured SPF & DKIM for my domains but am looking to do whatever I can to ensure that my config is as optimal as possible. If I were to setup individual PTR records for each domain that is sending emails, would it be something I could do via WHM or would I need to request my VPS provider to do this for me? – Luke McCallum Apr 29 '11 at 06:19
  • First, it is very common for a server sending outbound mail to send for many domains on one IP address and acceptable to have a single PTR that matches the hostname of that mail server. People expect to discover a PTR record for the submitting IP but don't expect it to always be in the same domain as the sender's email address. Second, the entity that creates the PTR record is the entity that has been delegated ownership of the reverse zone in question. That's not you so you need to request this from your VPS provider (give them the IP and the hostname). – icky3000 Apr 29 '11 at 12:43