Regional Records Explained
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Regional records are a DNSimple DNS hosting feature that lets you choose the geographical regions where a DNS record is served. This gives you control over DNS responses based on which part of DNSimple’s network answers the query. Instead of a record being served from all of DNSimple’s points of presence (PoPs), you can restrict it to a select few. This is particularly useful for geographically sensitive applications like content delivery networks (CDNs) or services that need to route traffic to a specific regional server.
How regional records work
DNSimple’s name servers use anycast: the same IP addresses are announced from every PoP, and internet routing delivers each query to one of them, usually a nearby one. A regional record is only served by the PoPs in the regions you select. If a query reaches a PoP in a region you selected, that PoP serves the record. If it reaches a PoP in any other region, the record is not served.
By default, if you do not specify any regions for a record, it is made available across all of DNSimple’s PoPs. You have the option to pick from the following 8 regions:
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Ashburn, Virginia, USA
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Paris, France
- San Jose, California, USA
- Sydney, Australia
- Tokyo, Japan
Things to know before using regional records
Understanding how internet traffic is routed is critical when using regional records. Network operators’ routing preferences are complex. They are influenced by factors like costs, specific agreements, and optimal routing selection. This means that geographical proximity and network topology do not always align perfectly, which can lead to unpredictable results with network packets.
For example, a request originating from a location close to one PoP might still terminate at a different, farther PoP due to a network operator’s specific routing path. To account for this, it is best practice to include records for PoPs that are geographically close to each other to prevent potential DNS resolution failures.
This feature is available on the Solo Pro plan and higher and is enabled by default for those plans.
Have more questions?
If you have additional questions or need any assistance with regional records, just contact support, and we will be happy to help. You can also read more about DNSimple Enterprise.