Fast Hive gives you two separate DNS editors, and only one of them is live for any given domain. Edits made in the wrong one appear to save correctly and do absolutely nothing - which is why "I changed the record and nothing happened" is one of the most common support tickets we receive. This guide shows you how to tell which editor is authoritative in about ten seconds, and covers the two supporting DNS tools in cPanel.
Whoever the nameservers point to owns the DNS. If they point at Fast Hive, use cPanel Zone Editor. If they point at the registrar or anyone else, use that provider's DNS editor.
Step 1 - Find out which nameservers your domain uses
Run this from a terminal:
nslookup -type=NS yourdomain.com 8.8.8.8Or use cPanel's own tool: open Advanced → Track DNS, enter your domain under Domain Lookup, and read the DNS information it returns.
| If the nameservers are | Edit DNS in |
|---|---|
ns1.fasthive.com / ns2.fasthive.com |
cPanel → Zone Editor |
| Your registrar's own nameservers | Client area → DNS Management (for domains registered with us) |
| Cloudflare, or another DNS provider | That provider's dashboard. Neither Fast Hive editor applies. |
| Your own private nameservers (reseller) | WHM → Edit DNS Zone |
The two editors compared
| cPanel Zone Editor | Client area DNS Management | |
|---|---|---|
| Applies when | Domain uses Fast Hive nameservers | Domain is registered with us and uses the registrar's nameservers |
| Where | cPanel → Domains → Zone Editor | My Domains → Manage Domain → DNS Management |
| Record types | A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SRV, CAA and the full zone | A (Address), AAAA (Address), MXE (Mail Easy), MX (Mail), CNAME (Alias), SPF (txt), URL Redirect, URL Frame |
| TTL control | Yes | Limited |
| Best for | Anything technical - DKIM, DMARC, SRV, CAA, staged TTL changes | Simple pointing when you are not hosting with us |
Two record types unique to the client-area editor
- URL Redirect - sends visitors to another address, with the destination URL showing in the browser bar. Useful for pointing a spare domain at your main site with no hosting at all.
- URL Frame - loads another site inside a frame while keeping your domain in the address bar. Avoid it: it breaks bookmarking, harms search engine indexing, and behaves poorly on mobile. A 301 redirect is almost always the better answer.
- MXE (Mail Easy) - a simplified way to route mail by IP address rather than by hostname. Use a normal MX record unless your mail provider specifically asks for MXE.
Track DNS - checking what is actually published
cPanel → Advanced → Track DNS gives you two tools:
- Domain Lookup - enter any domain and see its IP address and DNS information. Use it right after making a change to confirm what the world can actually see, rather than trusting what the editor shows.
- Trace Route - traces the network path between your computer and the server. Useful when a site is reachable for some people and not others, since it shows where the connection stops.
Domain Lookup is the tool to reach for whenever you are unsure whether a change has propagated. It queries live DNS, so it tells you the truth about the current state.
Dynamic DNS - a hostname that follows a changing IP
cPanel → Domains → Dynamic DNS keeps a hostname pointed at an IP address that changes - typically an office or home connection without a static IP. You might use it to reach an office NAS, a camera system or a development machine by name instead of chasing the current address.
- Open Domains → Dynamic DNS.
- Click Create.
- Choose the domain or subdomain the entry should use.
- cPanel creates the entry and gives you an update URL.
- Configure your router or a small script on the network to call that URL periodically. Whenever the public IP changes, the DNS record follows.
The list shows each entry's domain, current IP address, update URL and SSL certificate status.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Record saved, nothing changed | You edited the non-authoritative editor. Check the nameservers and edit in the right place. |
| The two editors show different records | Entirely normal - they are separate zones. Only the one matching your nameservers is live. Ignore the other. |
| Change visible in Track DNS but not in your browser | Local DNS cache. Run ipconfig /flushdns on Windows or sudo dscacheutil -flushcache on macOS, and wait out the old TTL. |
| You need a DKIM or DMARC record but the editor has no TXT option | The registrar editor is limited. Move the domain onto Fast Hive nameservers and use Zone Editor, which handles the full record set. |
| Email broke after switching nameservers | MX records did not move with you. Recreate them in the new zone and set Email Routing appropriately in cPanel. |
| URL Frame page ranks badly or looks wrong on mobile | Expected. Replace it with a 301 redirect. |
| Dynamic DNS entry is not updating | The update URL is not being called, or your router's client is misconfigured. Call the URL manually to confirm it works, then check the schedule. |
Frequently asked questions
How do I know which editor is live, without a terminal?
Open Advanced → Track DNS in cPanel and look your domain up. It reports the nameservers currently answering for it.
Can I use both editors at once?
No. Only the zone matching your nameservers is consulted. Keeping records in both leads to confusion later when someone edits the wrong one.
Which should I choose if I am hosting with Fast Hive?
Fast Hive nameservers and the cPanel Zone Editor. It is the fuller editor, and it keeps DNS in the same place as your hosting.
What if I use Cloudflare?
Cloudflare becomes your DNS provider. Make all changes there, and set the A record to your Fast Hive IP address. Do not also point at our nameservers.
How long do DNS changes take?
Usually a few hours, bounded by the previous record's TTL. Lowering the TTL a day or two before a planned change makes the switchover much quicker.
Is Dynamic DNS suitable for hosting a website from my office?
Technically possible, but a poor idea - residential and office connections have slow upload speeds, no uptime guarantee, and are often blocked from serving web traffic. Host the site here and use Dynamic DNS only for reaching equipment on that network.
