Steps to Configure Private Nameservers in WHM Panel

Written By Anurag Soam Published On July 15, 2026 Reading Time 2 minutes

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• A VPS or Dedicated Server with a static public IP address
• WHM installed and accessible
• A registered domain (e.g., example.com)
• Root access to WHM

Example:

• Domain: example.com
• Server IP: 192.0.2.10

You'll create:

• ns1.example.com
• ns2.example.com

Step 2: Log in to WHM

Access WHM as the root user.

https://your-server-ip:2087

Step 3: Configure Nameservers in WHM

Navigate to:

WHM

• Server Configuration
• Basic WebHost Manager Setup

Locate the Nameservers section.

Enter:

Nameserver 1:
ns1.example.com

Nameserver 2:
ns2.example.com

Click Assign IP Address (if shown).

Then click Add an A Entry for this Nameserver.

Repeat for both nameservers.

Finally, click Save Changes.

Step 4: Verify DNS Zone

Go to:

WHM

• DNS Functions
• Edit DNS Zone

Select:

example.com

Verify the following records exist:

If any record is missing, add it and save the zone.

Step 5: Change the Domain's Nameservers

Return to your domain registrar.

Replace the existing nameservers with:

ns1.example.com
ns2.example.com

Save the changes.

DNS propagation can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 48 hours.

Step 6: Verify the Configuration

From any Linux system, run:

dig NS example.com

Expected output:

example.com. IN NS ns1.example.com.
example.com. IN NS ns2.example.com.

Verify that your nameserver responds:

dig @ns1.example.com example.com

Or use:

nslookup example.com ns1.example.com

You can also verify using online DNS lookup tools after propagation.

By Anurag Soam

A skilled Technical Content Writer with an unwavering dedication to covering complex concepts and specializing in writing explicit, concise, and SEO-friendly content for diverse audiences. With a solid background in technology, including SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, Documentation, Cloud, Cybersecurity, and DevOps, he’s an expert in curating content that enhances user experience and facilitates product success. He’s constantly updated on the latest industry trends and tools to deliver qualitative technical content.

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