What are my Name Servers?
A 'name server' is a specialized server that hosts DNS zone files and plays a vital role in the Domain Name System (DNS). It helps translate domain names into IP addresses and helps browsers make connections between URLs and websites.
This article discusses the following topics.
- How name servers work ⤵
- Where to find my HostGator name servers ⤵
- How to use HostGator name servers ⤵
- Should I use generic or private name servers? ⤵
How name servers work
It is the job of name servers to translate your URL into IP addresses, which is a language computers can understand and retrieve information about the website from a network of servers worldwide.
Say you want to visit a site called snappyhostgator.com. You search for snappyhostgator.com using a browser, and then your computer immediately loads a webpage, giving you access to its website. This may look simple; however, the process is more technical than how it looks behind the scenes.
When you type in snappyhostgator.com in a browser, your computer sends a request to snappyhostgator.com's name servers. Those name servers then respond with the IP address of the website. Your browser will then send a request for the website content of that IP address. Once your browser retrieves the information requested, the website content will load. All of these happen so quickly that you don't get to notice it happening – unless an error occurs.
Where to find my HostGator name servers
HostGator sends you an Order Confirmation email whenever you purchase a hosting package. Your name server information is found in your Order Confirmation email and Customer Portal.
Please note that due to the upgrade done on the Customer Portal in November 2023, all new customer signups will be moving to the new DNS setup.
The name servers of new customers will look like the following:
- hgns1.hostgator.com
- hgns2.hostgator.com
Customers who signed up before November 2023 will have the following format for their name servers:
- ns0000.hostgator.com
- ns1111.hostgator.com
You may ask, "So the name servers look a bit different from what they were before. Is the new format of name servers better than the legacy ones?" or "Will this change affect my websites and emails hosted in my 'legacy' servers?"
Answer: Nope, definitely not! While the format of the new name servers may look slightly different, the performance of these name servers will still be the same and will not affect the websites and emails being hosted. This is just a minor change we have made in our system. Please be assured that HostGator ensures you receive the best hosting experience, thus, these improvements.
Option 1: In your Order Confirmation email
Regardless of the type of account you have with HostGator, your Order Confirmation email, which was sent to your registered email address, will contain the name servers of your hosting package.
Option 2: In your Customer Portal
HostGator customers are given access to their Customer Portal to manage their accounts. All hosting packages in your HostGator account have their name servers, and their information is provided in your Customer Portal.
To locate your name servers in your Customer Portal:
- Within your Customer Portal, click Hosting from the left-side menu.
- If you have a single hosting package in your account, scroll down to the Server Information section.
If you have multiple hosting packages in your account, locate the hosting package you want to check your name servers for, then click its Manage button.
- Within the Hosting Plan Details page, you will find your name servers under the Server Information section.
How to use HostGator name servers
Now that you have your HostGator name servers (as discussed above), you can now connect your domain to your HostGator hosting server.
Please check out the following article to connect your domain name to your HostGator account.
Should I use generic or private name servers?
If you are on a VPS or Dedicated server, you must use private name servers. Please visit the following helpful guide to learn more about private name servers.