Last updated June 5, 2006
BlogHarbor supports the use of a custom domain name for your weblog. For example, maybe you have already registered your own domain name - let's use the domain name example.com - and want to use that domain name (www.example.com) instead of using something like example.blogharbor.com.
Let's say you have a domain name like example.com: you can set your blog to any hostname at your domain: www.example.com, blog.example.com, or news.example.com... In this way you can add a subdomain to your existing website if you do not wish to convert an existing www.example.com hostname to the Blog format.
Trial Blogs can not use a custom domain name: only Upgraded Blogs can use a custom domain. Once you've upgraded your Trial Blog, reply to your email receipt and let us know what domain name you would like use for your blog after you have updated your domain name's DNS records.
Multiple Hostname Support
Your BlogHarbor weblog can have up to 3 hostnames. One hostname will
act as primary and will always be the address which appears in the
address bar of your web browser; the blog can also respond to 2
additional hostnames.
This capability allows you to start with a BlogHarbor name like example.blogharbor.com when you sign up for your weblog, then add your own domain name like www.example.com later on. We would set the www.example.com hostname as the primary address, and your original example.blogharbor.com address as the secondary address so that all of your friends and readers will still be able to find your weblog even if they access the original address of your weblog and not the new one.
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Updating your Domain's
DNS Information
In order to use a blog address based on your own domain name, either
as the www form such as www.example.com or some
other hostname like blog.example.com, you will need to make
modifications to your domain's DNS records. There are 3 methods you
can use in order to create the proper DNS records:
- Use your current domain name registration provider to provide DNS service.
- Use a free or low-cost DNS provider.
- Use BlogHarbor to provide DNS services for your domain.
More information on each of these options follows:
-
Add a CNAME record to your DNS as hosted by your current domain name registration provider. Create a CNAME for the hostname you prefer and point it to users.blogware.com . Some domain registration services refer to a CNAME record as an alias record or a host alias.
So let's say you want to have your blog at the address of www.example.com. To do so, you would create a CNAME record at your current domain name registration provider for the hostname www and alias it to users.blogware.com. If you already have a website at www.example.com and want to supplement that existing site with a blog at the address blog.example.com, you would create a CNAME record for the hostname blog and alias it to users.blogware.com.
If you are using certain services of the current domain name registration provider such as email and do not want to change them, this method may be faster and easier than any of the other methods.
-
If your current domain name registration provider does not offer DNS service, you can use a free or low-cost service to provide you with DNS and sometimes optional services such as email forwarding.
Some well-known free DNS providers include:
- ZoneEdit
- Granite Canyon (The Public DNS Service)
In order to use one of these services to provide DNS for your domain, you would first create an account on that service, then change the listed nameservers at your domain name provider to the new nameservers specified by the DNS provider. Lastly you would add a CNAME record to your DNS for the hostname you prefer such as www.example.com and alias that hostname to users.blogware.com .
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BlogHarbor can provide you with DNS service at no additional cost. This method is required when you purchase one of our email packages to provide email accounts for your domain name. We can provide DNS service for your domain even if you do not choose to purchase our email service.
BlogHarbor makes it easy for you to host your weblog using your domain name by combining blog hosting with our business-class email service complete with spam filtering and webmail, all at one low price from a service provider you can believe in.
Pricing for BlogHarbor email packages starts at $4.95/month for up to three 100 MB Business-class email accounts with spam filtering, autoresponders, catch-alls, and webmail access. Click here to learn more about BlogHarbor email services.In order to use our DNS service, you would change the nameservers which are listed for your domain name at your current domain name registration provider to the following values:
ns1.mdnsservice.com
ns2.mdnsservice.com
ns3.mdnsservice.com
Please note that changing your nameservers as above can interrupt any current services you are using on your domain name. We suggest you consult with us before changing your nameservers if you are currently using mail or other services on the domain, so that we can help ensure the smooth transition of your mail service.
Using any of these methods, it can take 24-48 hours before the DNS change takes effect and your blog is accessible using the new address.
Be sure to contact us and inform us which method you have chosen when you have made your DNS changes so that we can update your account settings to ensure that your blog responds at the new address.
Links to your current *.blogharbor.com address can be redirected to the new primary address of the weblog at your request.
