This article discusses type AAAA DNS records in detail. For a general guide to DNS records and their settings in the customer administration panel, see the article DNS – Domain Records.

In this article, you will learn:

• What are type AAAA records for
• How to find the IPv6 address of a service
• How to enter type AAAA records correctly
• Examples of type AAAA records
• Frequently asked questions

You use type AAAA records to indicate the IPv6 address of the server that hosts your website. Almost all WEDOS services have this address, with the exception of some older Webhosting services. If you run a website elsewhere, find out whether you direct the domain to the service using an AAAA record or another (typically A, CNAME).

An IPv6 address is a numerical designation of a computer on a network. It is significantly more complex than the older IPv4 address – one such example is 2a02:2b88:1:4::16. This version of addressing is new, some newer devices prefer it, while other, older devices cannot use it. Therefore, domains still mostly use an IPv4 address that you specify using type A records.

The AAAA DNS record is optional and not supported by many services. If your service is not accessible via IPv6, but your domain lists AAAA records, it may cause problems. Make sure the AAAA records are really not directed to your service and then remove them.

Almost all WEDOS hostings have an IPv6 address, with the exception of older Webhosting services that only use an IPv4 address. You can find the address in the customer administration panel in the service details. If you already know it, continue with the chapter Type AAAA Record Entry.

Follow these steps to open the service detail:

1. Log into the customer administration panel.
2. In the navigation bar, select: Web & Email Hosting >> Webhosting, WMS or WebSite, alternatively Server Hosting >> VPS ON, VPS SSD or Dedicated.
3. Choose the service you want to learn the IPv6 address of.

Open the Detail of:

Then continue according to service type.

For Webhosting (including WMS Webhosting) and WebSite, you can find the IPv6 address in the Service Addresses table.

Server services typically use the entire range instead of a single IPv6 address. Specific addresses must be set in the administration or system of individual services.

If the service whose IPv6 address you want to learn is not with WEDOS, look for the service manual or contact its provider’s support.

For general instructions on setting up DNS records in the customer administration panel, see the article DNS – Domain Records.

If the domain uses another provider’s DNS servers, automatic or manual changes to WEDOS records will not affect its behavior.

Basic type AAAA records typically contain one entry for the main domain (with an empty name) and one entry for all subdomains not specified elsewhere in the records (with an * in the name):

Name      TTL    Type  Data
(empty)   300    AAAA  (server IPv6 address)
*         300    AAAA  (server IPv6 address)

Whenever you list any record for a subdomain (except a CNAME), if that subdomain directs to an IPv6 address, create a corresponding type AAAA record for it as well. If no other record exists for a subdomain, it will direct to the IPv6 address of the server listed in the record named *.

List a subdomain’s type AAAA record according to this template:

Name              TTL    Type  Data
(subdomain-name)  300    AAAA  (server IPv6 address)

The system can set type AAAA records automatically in certain circumstances (only on WEDOS DNS servers).

You can set DNS records automatically, when you:

• Check DNS settings while creating or renaming a Webhosting or WebSite, alternatively while setting up aliases.
• Direct a domain to a service according to the guide Domains – Direct DNS to Service.

Example: The domain and all subdomains direct to the IP address 2a02:2b88:1:4::11:

Example: The domain directs to the WEDOS default server via records of both type A and AAAA:

Example: The domain directs to a new service via the type A record, but the default WEDOS server remained in the type AAAA records:

If your new service does not use AAAA records and you still have AAAA records from the previous service for the domain, delete them.

Question: My web hosting provider has not given me any IPv6 address, what should I do?
Answer: If you have an IPv4 address, set it in the domain’s A records. Some older devices do not support it, though. Many providers also use a CNAME record – but this only works for subdomains (such as www), not for the main domain.

Question: What is the relation between type A and AAAA records?
Answer: Records of both types should direct to the same server. Otherwise, visitors may see different websites. Some servers do not use IPv4 or IPv6 addresses – therefore, list only those records for the domain that actually lead to the desired server.

Question: How do I know that AAAA records direct to my web host?
Answer: The correct website is displayed. If you run the same version of the website on multiple servers, use diagnostic tools, such as domain or web hosting diagnostics in the customer administration panel. If you have changed DNS servers in the last 48 hours, the information in the diagnostics may be inaccurate due to propagation latency.

Question: How to direct the eshop subdomain to a different server than where the rest of the website is directed?
Answer: Create an A or AAAA record for it. Alternatively, use a CNAME record.