Opposite to what an A/AAAA record does for forward lookup zones, PTR records point a domain/hostname to an A/AAAA record.
It is used to verify if a server name is actually associated with the IP address.
If a PTR record for an IP address points to a hostname and the A/AAAA record for that hostname points back to the same IP address,
it is forward confirmed. PTR record is usually needed for hosting a mail server.
How is PTR record set up?
PTR records go into the reverse DNS domain which end with '.in-addr.arpa' or '.ip6.arpa' for IPv4 and IPv6 address block respectively.
It requires that you have a static IP address and needs to be set up with the provider who supplies you the IP address.
Residential Internet Service Providers offer a dynamic IP address so it is unlikely for users to set up reverse DNS
on a residential network.
How to set up PTR record on a dynamic IP?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to set up PTR record or reverse DNS on a dynamic IP. The reason is quite simple.
The ISP changes the IP address all the time so the IP address assigned to your network will not remain the same.
Only when the IP address remains static can the mapping from that static IP to a hostname/domain can be set up.
What are the alternatives?
If setting up reverse DNS is required and you are on a dynamic IP, there are some alternatives:
-
Purchase a static IP from the ISP. This costs between $10 and $25 a month and there is security risks associated with the usage of a static IP on a residential network.
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Purchase VPS for $5/month. A Virtual Private Server offers a computer on the cloud with a static IP address and
you can install any operating system (Windows, Linux, Custom ISO) to host emails, websites or simply store documents.
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Sign up for SMTP Outbound Relay for $9.99/year. SMTP outbound relay can be used if you
are hosting your own mail server and needs the emails to be sent from a static IP with reverse DNS set up.
The relay email node has a static IP with good reputation that can prevent your emails from landing in the SPAM folder.
Choose the solution that suits your requirements and budget and get started with your project today!
How to configure reverse ...