How to Point Your Domain to BearHost

To make your domain load your BearHost hosting account, you need to update your DNS settings at your domain registrar. There are two methods: changing nameservers (recommended) or adding A records.

Method 1: Change Nameservers (Recommended)

This method points all DNS for your domain to BearHost, letting you manage everything from cPanel.

BearHost Nameservers:

• ns1.bearhost.com
• ns2.bearhost.com

GoDaddy

1. Log in to GoDaddy
2. Go to My Products > Domains and click your domain
3. Scroll down to Nameservers and click Change
4. Select Enter my own nameservers (advanced)
5. Enter ns1.bearhost.com and ns2.bearhost.com
6. Click Save
7. Confirm the change

Namecheap

1. Log in to Namecheap
2. Go to Domain List and click Manage next to your domain
3. Find the Nameservers section
4. Change the dropdown from "Namecheap BasicDNS" to Custom DNS
5. Enter ns1.bearhost.com and ns2.bearhost.com
6. Click the green checkmark to save

Cloudflare

If you are using Cloudflare as your registrar:

1. Log in to Cloudflare
2. Select your domain
3. Go to DNS > Records
4. Instead of changing nameservers (Cloudflare IS your nameserver), add A records pointing to your BearHost server IP (see Method 2 below)

If you registered your domain elsewhere and added it to Cloudflare, you can point Cloudflare to BearHost via A records while keeping Cloudflare's CDN and security features.

Method 2: A Records

Use this method if you want to keep DNS management at your current registrar or use Cloudflare's proxy.

Find Your Server IP

1. Log in to cPanel
2. On the right side, look for Shared IP Address under General Information
3. Note this IP address

Add DNS Records

At your domain registrar's DNS management:

| Type | Name | Value | TTL | |---|---|---|---| | A | @ | YOUR_SERVER_IP | 3600 | | A | www | YOUR_SERVER_IP | 3600 |

The @ record handles yourdomain.com and the www record handles www.yourdomain.com.

Add MX Records for Email

If you use BearHost for email, also add MX records:

| Type | Name | Value | Priority | TTL | |---|---|---|---|---| | MX | @ | mail.yourdomain.com | 0 | 3600 | | A | mail | YOUR_SERVER_IP | — | 3600 |

Understanding TTL

TTL (Time To Live) controls how long DNS records are cached:

| TTL Value | Duration | Best For | |---|---|---| | 300 | 5 minutes | During migrations (change before moving) | | 3600 | 1 hour | Standard setting | | 14400 | 4 hours | Stable records | | 86400 | 24 hours | Records that rarely change |

Tip: Before migrating, lower TTL to 300 a day in advance. After migration is confirmed working, increase it back to 3600 or higher.

DNS Propagation

After making DNS changes, it takes time for the changes to spread across the internet:

• Nameserver changes: 24–48 hours (typically 2–6 hours)
• A record changes: 5 minutes to 4 hours (depends on TTL)
• MX record changes: 1–24 hours

Verify Your DNS

Using dig (Mac/Linux)

dig yourdomain.com +short
dig www.yourdomain.com +short
dig yourdomain.com NS +short

Using nslookup (Windows)

nslookup yourdomain.com
nslookup -type=NS yourdomain.com

Online Tools

• whatsmydns.net — check propagation globally
• dnschecker.org — check from multiple locations

Troubleshooting

• Site not loading after DNS change: Wait for propagation. Clear your browser cache and try a different browser or device.
• Wrong site showing: Your old DNS is still cached. Wait longer or flush your local DNS cache.
• SSL certificate error: After DNS points to BearHost, go to cPanel and reinstall the SSL certificate via SSL/TLS Status > Run AutoSSL.
• Email not working: Ensure MX records are correctly configured and pointing to BearHost if you use cPanel email.
• Nameservers not updating at registrar: Some registrars take up to 24 hours to process nameserver changes. If it has been longer, contact your registrar.