Network Solutions DNS setup
If your domain is registered at Network Solutions, connecting it to Redirect Supply means turning off its web forwarding and adding a few records in the DNS tab. Your domain stays at Network Solutions, and your registration and email don’t change. It takes about five minutes, and Network Solutions applies record changes within about two hours.
Before you start
You need two things ready before you open Network Solutions.
Add the domain in Redirect Supply
Add your domain in Redirect Supply first. Its settings page shows the records you’ll need, including a TXT value that’s unique to your domain. Keep that page open in another tab. This guide covers a root domain like brand.com. If you’re connecting a subdomain like go.brand.com, the DNS setup guide explains the differences.
Check your nameservers
Network Solutions only lets you manage DNS records when your domain uses its nameservers. If your domain points to Cloudflare or another provider, add the records there instead. The Cloudflare DNS setup guide covers the most common case.
Open DNS at Network Solutions
All the changes in this guide happen in one tab.
Find the DNS tab
Sign in to Network Solutions and open Domains from the left menu. Choose your domain, select Manage, and open the DNS tab. You’ll see the current records and a +Add Record button. If you’re on the classic interface, the same records live under Advanced Tools, then Advanced DNS Records.
Records you’ll see there
Network Solutions domains often point to a parking page, or they’re set up with web forwarding. Domains that were connected to hosting may have old A records on @ and a record for www. All of these are in Redirect Supply’s way. Not sure what counts? The conflict table on your domain’s page in Redirect Supply lists every record that blocks the setup.
Clear the way
Before adding anything, remove what’s already pointing your domain elsewhere.
Turn off Web Forwarding
Web Forwarding is a separate setting from DNS at Network Solutions, and your records won’t take effect while it’s on. Turn it off or delete it for the domain first. That’s especially true if the domain currently forwards to a Network Solutions or parking page.
Remove old A and www records
Find each A record on @ and any record on www, select the vertical ellipsis next to it, and delete it. More than one A record on @ would make your domain work only some of the time. Remove any AAAA record on @ too.
Leave email records alone
MX records and email TXT records like SPF or DKIM keep your email working. They don’t affect redirects, so leave them exactly as they are.
Add the Redirect Supply records
You’ll add four records with +Add Record. Network Solutions uses a Refers to field instead of a host field: pick @ for the root domain, www for www, or Other Host to type any other name. Keep the default TTL of 2 hours.
Name | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
www | CNAME | proxy.redirect.supply |
@ | A | 188.114.96.9 |
@ | A | 188.114.97.9 |
_cf-custom-hostname | TXT | Value from your domain’s settings page |
Note: For the TXT record, choose Other Host in “Refers to” and type the host.
Add two A records for the root domain
Select +Add Record and choose A. Set Refers to @, enter 188.114.96.9 in Points to, and select Add. Add a second A record for @ pointing to 188.114.97.9.
Add the www CNAME
Add a CNAME record, set Refers to www, and enter proxy.redirect.supply in Alias to. Network Solutions only supports CNAMEs on names like www, never on the root domain, which is why the root uses A records.
Add the TXT record
Add a TXT record, set Refers to Other Host, type _cf-custom-hostname as the host, and paste the value from your domain’s settings page in Redirect Supply. On some less common domain endings, Redirect Supply also asks for an _acme-challenge TXT record. Add it the same way if you see it.
Check the list
Each record is saved when you select Add. Look over the list to make sure all four are there and nothing else is left on @ or www.
Check the status in Redirect Supply
Once the records are in, you’re done in Network Solutions.
Check the conflict table
You don’t have to wait to find out if something’s wrong. Your domain’s page in Redirect Supply shows a conflict table with the records currently on your domain. Anything that blocks the setup, like an old A record or a leftover www record, is flagged there along with what to do about it. Fix those first, and the rest is just waiting.
How long it takes
Network Solutions says record updates can take up to 2 hours. If you just moved the domain to Network Solutions’ nameservers, allow 24–48 hours.
When the domain goes Active
Redirect Supply checks your records automatically. When it finds them, the domain switches to Active and HTTPS is issued on its own, with no extra steps from you. See Domain statuses for what each status means along the way.
Network Solutions-specific issues
Most problems on Network Solutions come from forwarding that’s still on.
The domain still forwards to the old place
Web Forwarding is still active. Turn it off for the domain, then check again in a private window, because browsers remember redirects.
The DNS tab isn’t available
Your domain uses nameservers outside Network Solutions. Add the records with the provider your nameservers point to.
The domain works only some of the time
There’s more than one A record on @. Delete everything on @ except Redirect Supply’s two A records.
The domain is stuck on Pending
Open the conflict table on your domain’s page in Redirect Supply. It shows which record is blocking the setup, usually an old A record or a parking record. Remove what it flags and give it up to two hours. Record conflicts covers the common cases.