Setting up Google Apps DNS to serve a web site on a cPanel host

Question

I have a client who has a Google Apps account and who is managing their DNS from within Google Apps. Their registrar is eNom.

They have commissioned a web site from me, but as Google Sites isn't a real web host, we are going to be serving the site from a cPanel account they have subscribed to on my VPS with HostGator.

I am having an issue with the DNS setup and need assistance.

Their eNom Domain Settings Host records are as follows:

Host Name      Address Record      Type
@              216.239.32.21       A
@              216.239.34.21       A
@              216.239.36.21       A
@              216.239.36.21       A
calendar       ghs.google.com.     CNAME
docs           ghs.google.com.     CNAME
mail           ghs.google.com.     CNAME
polaris        ghs.google.com.     CNAME
sites          ghs.google.com.     CNAME
start          ghs.google.com.     CNAME
www            ghs.google.com.     CNAME

I attempted to modify the records to add an A record to the cPanel IP and then a CNAME for the naked domain and www to the cPanel by making the following changes:

Host Name      Address Record      Type
polarisrm.com  96.125.170.9        A        // Added A record
@              216.239.32.21       A
@              216.239.34.21       A
@              216.239.36.21       A
@              216.239.36.21       A
calendar       ghs.google.com.     CNAME
docs           ghs.google.com.     CNAME
mail           ghs.google.com.     CNAME
polaris        ghs.google.com.     CNAME
sites          ghs.google.com.     CNAME
start          ghs.google.com.     CNAME
www            polarisrm.com.      CNAME    // Updated the www CNAME record

However, making those changes broke the DNS. The result was "Hostname does not exist" when trying to access the web site. Pinging polarisrm.com returned an IP of 216.239.36.21 which is the first @ A record. I therefore reset the changes I made back to their original settings.

How do I configure the DNS properly so that none of the other Google services (mail, docs, calendar, etc) break while the www.polarisrm.com and polarisrm.com http protocols point to the cPanel?

HostGator was unable to provide me with a solution and I am stuck right now.

Answer 1

redirecting the naked domain using Google Apps is not required for the CNAME records to work. I would suggest deleting the A records and use your Hostgator cpanel IP for the Address Record for both, your single A record (naked domain) and the www CNAME record (instead of polarism.com)

    Host Name      Address Record      Type
    @              96.125.170.9        A        // single A record

    calendar       ghs.google.com.     CNAME
    docs           ghs.google.com.     CNAME
    mail           ghs.google.com.     CNAME
    polaris        ghs.google.com.     CNAME
    sites          ghs.google.com.     CNAME
    start          ghs.google.com.     CNAME
    www            96.125.170.9        CNAME    // Use IP for the www CNAME record

Hope this helps

Answer 2

You should NEVER create a CNAME record for the root domain or any domain name that also has MX records as it will override the MX records and any child records below the CNAME record.

Instructions for doing naked domain name redirecting with eNom are available at: https://sites.google.com/site/gsunhelp/step-by-step-guides/cnamealiasmappinghowdoesitallwork/mapping-site-custom-domain/cnames-and-naked-domains

Answer 3

I faced a similar problem and came across this post, but I found that eNom doesn't allow you to type in an IP address for CNAME record (at least not these days in 2016).

Instead the following worked:

Host Name      Address Record      Type
@              96.125.170.9        A
calendar       ghs.google.com.     CNAME
docs           ghs.google.com.     CNAME
mail           ghs.google.com.     CNAME
polaris        ghs.google.com.     CNAME
sites          ghs.google.com.     CNAME
start          ghs.google.com.     CNAME
www            @                   CNAME    //CNAME for web host

Google Apps and website working without a problem now.