Complete DNS & Nameserver Setup Guide for .et Domains

Managing DNS for Your .et Domain

You've registered your .et domain — now what? This guide walks you through everything you need to know about DNS configuration, from basic record types to connecting with popular hosting platforms.

Understanding DNS Record Types

DNS (Domain Name System) translates your domain name into the IP addresses that computers use. Here are the key record types:

• A Record — maps your domain to an IPv4 address (e.g., 93.184.216.34)
• AAAA Record — maps to an IPv6 address
• CNAME Record — creates an alias pointing to another domain (e.g., www → yourdomain.et)
• MX Record — directs email to your mail server (essential for email setup)
• TXT Record — stores text data (used for domain verification, SPF, DKIM)
• NS Record — specifies your authoritative nameservers

Option 1: Using ET Domains Default Nameservers

By default, your .et domain uses our nameservers. This means you can manage DNS records directly from your ET Domains dashboard:

1. Log in to your dashboard
2. Click on your domain
3. Navigate to the DNS tab
4. Add, edit, or delete records as needed

Option 2: Using Cloudflare (Recommended)

Cloudflare provides free DNS hosting with DDoS protection and CDN. To use Cloudflare with your .et domain:

1. Create a free Cloudflare account at cloudflare.com
2. Add your .et domain to Cloudflare
3. Cloudflare will give you two nameservers (e.g., ada.ns.cloudflare.com)
4. In your ET Domains dashboard, update your nameservers to the Cloudflare pair
5. Wait 24–48 hours for propagation

Option 3: Connecting to Vercel

For Next.js or static sites hosted on Vercel:

1. In Vercel, go to your project → Settings → Domains
2. Add your .et domain
3. Vercel will give you an A record (76.76.21.21) and CNAME for www
4. Add these records in your ET Domains DNS dashboard (or Cloudflare)

Option 4: Connecting to Netlify

For sites hosted on Netlify:

1. In Netlify, go to Domain Management → Add custom domain
2. Add a CNAME record pointing to your Netlify subdomain
3. Or use Netlify's nameservers for full DNS management

Setting Up Email (MX Records)

To receive email at your .et domain (e.g., hello@yourdomain.et), add MX records for your email provider:

Google Workspace:

• MX 1 aspmx.l.google.com
• MX 5 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
• MX 5 alt2.aspmx.l.google.com

Zoho Mail (Free):

• MX 10 mx.zoho.com
• MX 20 mx2.zoho.com

Troubleshooting DNS Issues

• Changes not reflecting? DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours. Use dig yourdomain.et to check
• SSL not working? If using Cloudflare, ensure SSL mode is set to "Full (Strict)"
• Email not arriving? Verify MX records and add SPF/DKIM TXT records for deliverability

Need help configuring DNS? Contact us at support@etdomains.tech — we're happy to assist.