The definition of “hosting” does not describe just one service, but a set of services which provide numerous functions to a domain address. Having a site and e-mails, as an illustration, are two independent services even though in the general case they come together, so most people consider them as one single service. The truth is, each domain has a several DNS records called A and MX, which show the server that deals with each specific service - the former is a numeric IP address, that identifies where the site for the domain is loaded from, while the second one is an alphanumeric string, which shows the server that manages the e-mails for the domain name. As an example, an A record is 123.123.123.123 and an MX record is mx1.domain.com. Whenever you open a site or send an e-mail, the global DNS servers are contacted to check the name servers that a domain address has and the traffic/message is first forwarded to that company. In case you have custom records on their end, the Internet browser request or the email will be forwarded to the correct server. The idea behind employing separate records is that the two services use different web protocols and you can have your site hosted by one provider and the e-mails by another.

Custom MX and A Records in Semi-dedicated Hosting

If you purchase a semi-dedicated server plan through our company, you are going to be able to see and update the A and MX records for any one of the domain addresses or subdomains you host in the account. The Hepsia CP, which you'll get to control the account, offers an state-of-the-art, although easy-to-use tool in which all hosts are going to be listed in alphabetical order and you'll be able to edit their records with no more than a few mouse clicks. If you have to set up a new record, it'll be equally simple - choose the domain/subdomain, enter the IP address or mail server record and you will be ready. Additionally, you'll be able to set different priority for the MX records which you create in case you want to use a third-party e-mail provider and they ask you to set up additional records apart from the 2 default ones. If you encounter any troubles, we've got a detailed Help section with videos in which you can see first-hand how to setup or change any record.