Adding an MX Record

They have: 850 posts

Joined: Jul 1999

Do most hosts charge money to add an MX record? I ask this because I was interested in allowing users to have [email protected], but found out that it costs $25 (from the host) to add the record.

Do most hosts charge this?

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They have: 453 posts

Joined: Jan 1999

Some host charge a small amount for changing zone files,
but $25 looks very expensive to me.

Adding a mx record is a matter of 2 minutes,
so their techies must be very rich

Justin S's picture

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Joined: Jun 1999

Most host nowadays won't even let you change your MX records... Even if you pay them! A very small few will do it for free, while some charge a fee. $25 one time isn't that much money...

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Jaiem's picture

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Joined: Apr 1999

Silly question:

What's an MX record? What's it used for?

Thanks.

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MX stands for mail exchange... The MX entry in a DNS file tells the server where to find the mail server for that particular domain.

If a user, such as Rob, wants to use a free e-mail service like everyone.net, they need whoever is hosting the domain to change the MX entry so that it points to their server and they effectivly take over ALL e-mail operations for that domain.

The reason we charge a fee (yes, we are the host that Rob is referring to), like most other hosts, is because it takes an admin's time to go in there and manually change that DNS entry. Things that take us time must be charged accordingly, because admin's don't come cheap.

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TWF Administrator

Dynamic Internet Solutions : Windows NT and UNIX Hosting & Dedicated Servers

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Anti, it takes exactly:

45 secs. to change the zonefile
5 secs. to reload the nameserver
120secs. to write the fax to the customer and print it
100secs. to fax it, take the hardcopy and file it.

I hate the paper-stuff, but it has to be done if you handle more then 5000 domains

later

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Patrick,

I thought it was 46 sec. to change the zonefile? Guess were gonna have to brush up on that a little more.

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TWF Administrator

Dynamic Internet Solutions : Windows NT and UNIX Hosting & Dedicated Servers

They have: 453 posts

Joined: Jan 1999

Patrick,

if it really takes you six minutes (including the fax).
Then $25 is ok.
Actually an admin costing (not getting paid!!) $250 per hour is a sum a serious accountant would consider correct.

But:
After having received the zone change request (via form+cgi) it takes around 15 seconds to double check it (just in case someone forwards it to playboy.cam) and another 5 seconds to press the "authorize" button.
Everything from there (including the response email to the customer) is 100% autmatic.

Well, to cut a long discussion short:
I would pay around $25 bucks and be done with it.

[This message has been edited by anti (edited 31 May 2000).]

They have: 5,633 posts

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Anti, be thankful for your click-click automated environment

Chad, it actually takes me 43.5 secs., but I didn't want to blame you

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