To use custom nameservers with Truehost reseller hosting, you register your own nameserver hostnames at your domain registrar, create matching DNS records, make sure the DNS service on your hosting server answers for them, and then point your defaults at the new names. Branded nameservers make your hosting look like your own, from the first DNS lookup.
Think of nameservers as an address book. When someone types your customer’s domain into a browser, the internet asks that domain’s nameservers where to find its DNS records. If those nameservers are ns1.provider.example, your upstream provider is visible. If they are ns1.yourbrand.com, your brand is.
Which interface does what? #
Different steps happen in different places. Mixing them up is the most common reason setups fail.
| Interface | Role in this setup |
| Truehost Reseller Panel | Your management interface for reseller services such as white labelling and hosting packages. Use it to sell and manage, but do not assume it hosts the DNS settings below. |
| Domain registrar (or domain client area) | Where your brand domain is registered. This is where you register child nameservers (also called glue records) for ns1 and ns2. |
| WHM / cPanel | The server interface where nameserver software, default nameserver names, A records and reseller nameservers are configured on a cPanel server. |
| WHMCS | A separate billing and client management platform. Used for domain registration workflows through the Truehost Domain Reseller module. |
Your exact workflow depends on your setup: a cPanel reseller account, a separate WHMCS installation, or both. If you are unsure which applies, ask Truehost support before changing anything.
Key terms #
- Nameserver: a server that answers DNS questions for a domain.
- Private (branded) nameserver: a nameserver hostname under your own domain, such as ns1.yourbrand.com.
- Child nameserver: the registrar’s term for a nameserver hostname that lives under a domain you registered with them.
- Glue record: the record the registry holds that ties a child nameserver’s hostname to its IP address. It is needed because the nameserver sits inside the very domain it serves.
- A record: a DNS record that points a hostname to an IPv4 address.
Requirements before you start #
- An active Truehost reseller hosting account.
- A domain you own, for example, yourbrand.com.
- Login access to the registrar where that domain is registered.
- Two IP addresses confirmed by Truehost for your nameservers.
- Access to WHM, DNS or reseller settings if your account configuration allows it.
- WHMCS access, only if you use it for domain or hosting workflows.
Do not guess the IP addresses – Looking up Truehost’s existing nameservers does not prove those addresses are suitable for your private nameservers. Get them from Truehost support or from the IP addresses assigned to your server. If you cannot find them, contact Truehost support before continuing.
Step-by-step: configure custom nameservers #
Step 1: Confirm what your Truehost account supports #
Log in to your Truehost account and locate your reseller hosting service and its management options. Check whether you have access to WHM or to server-level DNS settings.
- The nameserver hostnames you may use.
- The IP addresses to assign to them.
- Whether DNS is already configured on your server for those names.
- Whether any server-side change is needed, and who makes it.
Step 2: Get the correct IP addresses #
Ask Truehost support, or use the IP addresses assigned to your server if you manage WHM yourself. As an optional diagnostic, you can see what a hostname currently resolves to:
dig +short ns1.cloudoon.com
This only shows the IP address that hostname returns right now. It does not prove that address is right for your private nameserver. Use only addresses confirmed for your own configuration.
Step 3: Register child nameservers at your registrar #
At the registrar where yourbrand.com is registered, register your nameserver hostnames with their IP addresses. Registrars use different labels for this, such as:
- Private Nameservers
- Child Nameservers
- Register Nameservers
- Glue Records
| Nameserver | IP address |
| ns1.yourbrand.com | First IP confirmed by Truehost |
| ns2.yourbrand.com | Second IP confirmed by Truehost |
Truehost’s cPanel nameserver guide states that this registration is not done inside cPanel/WHM, and that your nameservers will not work until it is done at the registrar. If your brand domain is registered through a Truehost client area, look for the equivalent option there. If it is registered elsewhere, do it at that registrar.
Step 4: Create or verify the DNS records #
The A records in your domain’s DNS zone should match the glue records:
| Record type | Host | Destination |
| A | ns1 | First confirmed IPv4 address |
| A | ns2 | Second confirmed IPv4 address |
Glue records and A records are related but different. The glue record is held at the registry so the internet can find your nameserver. The A record lives in your DNS zone. An A record alone does not register a child nameserver, and it does not make a server authoritative for customer domains.
If Truehost manages your brand domain’s DNS, make the change there. If DNS is managed elsewhere (for example at your registrar or a DNS provider), make it in that interface.
Step 5: Configure the DNS service on the server #
Your nameserver hostnames must lead to a DNS server that can answer for customer domains.
Truehost’s cPanel nameserver guide in WHM:
- Choose the nameserver software – Go to WHM → Home → Service Configuration → Nameserver Selection. The guide recommends BIND for most servers. You can skip this if you already use your registrar’s DNS.
- Set the default nameservers – Go to WHM → Home → Server Configuration → Basic WebHost Manager Setup and enter your nameserver names at the bottom. Each name must be a prefix, a dot, and your domain, and the two names cannot be the same.
- Add IP addresses if needed – Go to WHM → Home → IP Functions → Add a New IP Address.
- Create A records for the nameservers – In Basic WebHost Manager Setup, use Configure Address Records next to each nameserver.
- Add an A entry for the server hostname – Go to WHM → Home → DNS Functions → Add an A Entry for Your Hostname.
- Register the nameservers at your registrar.
For reseller nameservers, the guide points to WHM → Home → Resellers → Edit Reseller Nameservers and Privileges. It also notes that resellers can use their own nameservers, but individual cPanel accounts cannot.
These are server-level settings – Many resellers do not have root access to WHM. If you cannot see these menus, do not look for a workaround. Ask Truehost support to apply or confirm the configuration.
Step 6: Set your defaults in the Truehost Reseller Panel or WHMCS #
The goal here is that new customers automatically receive your nameservers.
Truehost Reseller Panel: No documented setting for default nameservers was found. Check your admin area for a nameserver or domain settings page, and if you cannot find one, ask Truehost support.
WHMCS: If you use WHMCS with the Truehost Domain Reseller module, Truehost’s guide confirms how to activate the module.
In WHMCS, search for Domain Registrars in system settings and activate Truehost Reseller. You then enter the API username, API key, and API endpoint. These details are in the Truehost client area under Domains → Reseller Area → Settings, and the allowed IP address should be your WHMCS server’s IP.
The documentation does not describe default-nameserver fields for this module. In WHMCS itself, nameserver defaults may exist in locations such as:
- the settings for the registrar module,
- the server’s own settings, and
- the general domain settings.
These locations are common in WHMCS but were not confirmed in Truehost’s documentation. Verify the exact names and behaviour in your WHMCS version, then save and test with a test domain.
Why the order matters #
Do these in order, and do not skip ahead:
- Register the nameserver hostnames (glue records).
- Create the required DNS records.
- Make sure the DNS service on the server can serve customer domains.
- Configure your reseller panel or WHMCS defaults.
- Assign the nameservers to customer domains.
If you assign nameservers before step 3 is complete, customer domains can fail to resolve, websites can go offline, and email and other DNS-dependent services can stop working.
Update existing customer domains #
Changing your default nameservers does not automatically change the nameservers on domains that already exist. Those domains keep the nameservers they had.
To update them, use the interface that actually manages each domain:
- The customer’s own domain management area, if the account allows it.
- Your admin interface, if you have permission to edit domains.
- The registrar’s interface, if the domain is registered elsewhere.
Exact steps depend on the registrar and your setup. Before switching a live domain, confirm the new DNS servers already hold its DNS zone and records. Otherwise, its website and email can break the moment the change takes effect.
Test your custom nameservers #
Work through this checklist:
- Confirm both child nameservers are registered.
- Run a DNS lookup for each nameserver.
- Confirm the IP addresses match the values given by Truehost.
- Check that the servers answer correctly and are authoritative for a test domain.
- Use a test domain to check your panel or WHMCS workflow.
- Confirm the test domain receives the intended nameservers.
- Confirm the test website loads and its DNS records work.
Optional commands:
dig +short ns1.yourbrand.com
dig +short ns2.yourbrand.com
These commands only check that a name resolves to an IP address. They do not prove the nameservers serve customer DNS zones correctly. To check that, query a nameserver directly for a test domain, for example, dig @ns1.yourbrand.com testdomain.com.
DNS changes can show up at different times because of caching, TTL values, and registry or registrar processing. No single propagation time applies to everyone.
Run a DNS check on your new nameservers – Confirm both resolve to the expected IP addresses, then check that they answer DNS queries for a domain they are supposed to serve.
Troubleshooting #
| Problem | Likely cause | Solution |
| The registrar rejects the child nameserver | The hostname is not under a domain you own at that registrar, the IP format is wrong, or the domain is locked or in a restricted state | Check the hostname spelling and IP format, confirm the domain is registered there, and contact the registrar |
| The nameserver resolves to the wrong IP | The glue record or A record contains an incorrect address | Correct the record with the IP confirmed by Truehost. Waiting will not fix a wrong value |
| The nameserver resolves, but customer websites do not load | The server has no DNS zone for the domain, or the DNS service is not running | Confirm the zone exists on the server and the DNS service is active. Ask Truehost support if you lack access |
| New customers still get the provider’s nameservers | Defaults were not changed or saved, or the wrong setting was edited | Recheck your panel or WHMCS defaults and test with a new test domain |
| The setting is not in the Truehost Reseller Panel | It may not exist there, or your account may not have it | Contact Truehost support to confirm where it is configured for your account |
| Existing domains still use old nameservers | Defaults only affect new orders | Update each domain through the interface that manages it, after checking the DNS zone exists |
| DNS results differ between resolvers | Caching and TTL differences | Test again after the TTL expires. If results never match, suspect a wrong record rather than propagation |
| You cannot access server-level DNS settings | You do not have root or WHM access | Ask Truehost support to make or confirm the change |
Frequently asked questions #
- How do I add custom nameservers in the Truehost Reseller Panel?
Truehost’s documentation does not describe a dedicated nameserver menu in the Reseller Panel. The documented steps happen at your registrar (child nameservers), in WHM (DNS service and defaults) and, if you use it, in WHMCS. Confirm the exact path for your account with Truehost support.
- Does Truehost support private nameservers for reseller hosting?
According to Truehost’s cPanel guide, whether your specific plan supports it depends on your configuration, so confirm with Truehost support.
- Where do I get the IP addresses for my private nameservers?
From Truehost support or from the IP addresses assigned to your server. Do not copy the IPs of existing nameservers without confirmation.
- What is the difference between private nameservers and child nameservers?
Private nameservers are the commercial name for nameservers under your own domain, while child nameservers are the registrar’s term for registering a hostname under a domain you own.
- What are glue records?
Glue records are records at the registry that tell the internet the IP address of a nameserver that lives inside the domain it serves.
- Do I need to register child nameservers separately from configuring DNS records?
Yes. Registering child nameservers at the registrar and creating A records in the DNS zone are different tasks, and both are needed.
- Can I use my own domain for Truehost reseller nameservers?
Truehost advises using a domain that reflects your company’s main homepage. Confirm with Truehost support that this works with your plan.
- Do I need WHMCS to set up custom nameservers?
No. WHMCS is optional. You only need it if you use it for domain registration or billing workflows.
- Will changing default nameservers update existing customer domains?
No. Defaults apply to new orders. Existing domains must be updated individually.
- How do I know whether my custom nameservers are working?
Check that both resolve to the expected IPs, then query each directly for a test domain and confirm the website loads.
- What should I do if the Truehost Reseller Panel does not show the required setting?
Do not assume you missed it. Contact Truehost support and ask where nameserver settings are configured for your account.
- Can private nameservers stop working if I change hosting providers?
Yes. Your nameservers point to IP addresses tied to your current hosting. If you move, you must update the glue records and DNS records to the new IPs.
Conclusion #
Setting up custom nameservers means working across several interfaces: your registrar, your DNS and WHM settings, and your panel or WHMCS defaults. Do the steps in order, use only IPs confirmed by Truehost, and test before you give the nameservers to any customer.