How can I enable my web site to be accessible as ntfaq.com instead of www.ntfaq.com?

A. We are all used to entering www.<domain> for a web site, such as www.serverfaq.com, however www is just a normal DNS host record and if you want your site to be accessible as just <domain>, e.g. yahoo.com just create a blank host record.

In Windows 2000 to create a blank host record for the domain perform the following:

  1. Start the DNS MMC snap-in (Start - Programs - Administrative Tools - DNS)
  2. Expand the server - forward lookup zones - DNS domain
  3. Right click on the domain and select 'New Host'
  4. Leave the name blank and just enter the IP address (check the create associated pointer record box)
    Click here to view image
  5. Click Add Host

A new host record will be listed of the form:

(same as parent folder) Host <ip address>

To do this on NT 4.0 for the domain ntfaq.com at address W.X.Y.Z, do the following:

  1. Stop the DNS service:
    C:\&gt; <b>net stop dns</b>
  2. Edit the file ntfaq.com.dns (found at %systemroot%\system32\dns\*.dns)
  3. Find a record that looks like:
    www IN A W.X.Y.Z
  4. Add the following record below:
    @ IN A W.X.Y.Z
  5. Save the file
  6. Restart DNS Service
    C:\&gt; <b>net start DNS</b>

Discuss this Article 6

Richard Newton Jr. (not verified)
on Mar 23, 2001
This doesn't work in NT 4, how do I setup this functionality in NT 4 DNS?
Mike Pratt (not verified)
on May 6, 2004
Is there a way to do this on an AD integrated zone?
Roy Wennerod (not verified)
on Sep 24, 2000
How can I do this on an Active Directory Integrated Zone? There are two servers with a host records pointing to my domain.com. It turns out that these are my Domain Controllers. If I remove them and add my web server at domain.com and reboot the old entries come back. It turns out that the entries for the DC's need to be there for the Netlogon service. Is there another way to achieve the same results. Thanks.

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