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The 1 to 3 day propagation period -
Understanding what happens during this time
frame
In short, patience is a virtue. When you
register a new domain name or change your DNS
settings, these new settings must propagate
throughout the world's DNS servers. It also means
that every ISP (Internet Service Provider) in the
world must update their DNS records to reflect
these new changes which, in most cases, is done
automatically every 24 hours, but not always
however...
Where do the Root Name
Servers receive their information from?
The Root Name Servers will query "domain
registers" several times a day. Domain Registers,
being entities such as Network Solutions, and the
newer OPEN SRS based systems. The Root Name Servers
will gather this information from the many
registers now in existence (such as our
SpiritOfProgress.com), and update their master
records accordingly.
Your ISP (where you have your internet acount)
must access the Root Name Servers and update their
DNS records, which reside on their 'local' DNS
server. This process is fully automated and most
ISP's will check the Root Name Servers for updates
every 24 hours. Be aware however, that some lame
ISP's will delay this process for as much as 2 to 4
days in some cases. If that happens, it will no
doubt cause additional confusion, as everyone else
will be reaching your new account on our servers
except you. This is because your ISP has not
updated their DNS records and/or have not cleared
their DNS cache, which means they'll not have your
new domain name details or will be still pointing
your domain name to your old server. If it's a new
domain name you've registered, then you'll receive
a blank "Site Not Found Page."
The DNS propagation
process is not limited to ISP's!
Just when you thought you had it all figured
out! Unfortunately, there's more. The Internet
itself must update/clear its DNS cache as well.
When we say the Internet, we mean the numerous
intermediate "points of access" you're routed
through before reaching your final destination. For
the most part, these intermediate points of access
consist of "Internet Routers" and "Internet Caching
Engines." These, too, maintain their own DNS cache
which assists them in routing traffic/resolving
URL's to the correct destination IP's. Don't worry
though, as Internet routers are usually faster at
clearing their DNS cache than ISP's are.
What to expect during
this 1 to 3 day propagation period
In most cases, the propagation process will take
approximately 48 hours to complete. The first thing
that happens is the "World Root Name Servers" will
check all of the various "Domain Registers" for
updates. The rest of it is up to the many ISP
providers throughout the world who should be
updating their DNS records (at least every 24
hours), but a number of them will not.
Side effects that can
be expected during the propagation time
frame
It's perfectly normal for strange things to
happen within the propagation period. While we
could provide a full list of all the anomalies that
can occur during the DNS propagation period, we'll
stick to some of the most common scenarios that
most people experience:
HELP! My friends can
reach my new site, but I'm still being directed to
the OLD ONE!
This is a classic case of your friend's ISP (who
did update their DNS records), but yours
unfortunately did not. As a result, your ISP is
still pointing your domain name to the old DNS
record, which is your old hosting account. Wait
another day or two and if it appears that everyone
but you can access your new account, then contact
your ISP and tell them to expire their old DNS
cache records.
WOW!
http://www.mydomain.com was taking me to my new
account just a minute ago, but when I try it now,
I'm being taken back to my old hosting account -
what's up with this?
In all likelihood, your ISP may be in the
process of clearing their DNS cache, and or
updating their local DNS server records. During
this small interval, it's normal to fluctuate
between the new and old web site, as the old DNS
records may not have completely expired from their
cache yet. Give it another several hours and it
should be fine.
HEY! My new site comes
up for me, but my friends are being directed to my
old one!
Break out the coffee and donuts, and consider
yourself lucky. Your ISP is on the ball and updates
DNS records/ clears DNS cache in short regular
intervals. Your friends may be using an ISP which
is not as fast and/or efficient at doing so. The
only remedy for this is time. Eventually, the other
ISP's DNS cache will expire and be replaced with
the updated DNS records.
What's going on with my
email? When I try to access it, I receive a "host
does not exist" or a "cannot authenticate" error
message.
This can happen for a number of reasons, but in
most cases it's because your new DNS records have
not fully completed the propagation process yet.
Consequently, you may be trying to access your old
email account on your "old server", which you may
have already cancelled, or it's in a state of DNS
flux, which means it points to the new server one
moment, and the next, points back to the old
server. Give it some more time and it will
eventually settle down.
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