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Day 4: Custom Domain (.com.np) & Cloudflare DNS Integration

 

Part 1: Theory

1. What is DNS (Domain Name System)?

  • Definition: DNS works like the phonebook of the internet. It translates human-friendly web addresses into numbers that computers understand.

  • IP Routing: Computers connect to each other using numerical addresses called IP addresses (e.g., 216.239.32.21). DNS routes users automatically so they do not need to memorize these numbers.

  • Real-Life Example:

    • Phonebook: Searching for "Sujan" gives you 9800000000.
    • DNS: Searching for mybrand.com.np gives the computer IP address 216.239.32.21.

2. Main DNS Record Types

  • Nameservers (NS): Tell the internet which server manages your DNS records.

  • A Record (Address Record): Connects a domain directly to a numerical web server IP address.

    • Example: Points mybrand.com.np \rightarrow 216.239.32.21.

  • CNAME Record (Canonical Name): Connects a domain or sub-domain to another domain name instead of an IP address.

    • Example: Points [www.mybrand.com](https://www.mybrand.com).np \rightarrow ghs.googlehosted.com.

3. What is a CDN (Content Delivery Network)?

  • Definition: A global network of servers that stores copies of your website content to deliver it faster to users.

  • Why Use a CDN:

    • Speed: Loads your website quickly regardless of visitor location.
    • Security: Protects your website from cyber attacks (such as DDoS attacks).
    • Reliability: Keeps your site running even during high traffic.

  • Example: If your website is stored on a server far away, a CDN like Cloudflare serves the cached content from a local server nearby.


4. Web Security: SSL & HTTPS

  • HTTPS: Secure version of HTTP that encrypts information sent between the user's browser and the server.

  • SSL Certificate: A digital key that activates HTTPS, showing a padlock icon in the browser address bar.

  • Why It Matters:

    • Protects passwords, customer data, and form details.
    • Google ranks secure HTTPS sites higher than non-secure HTTP sites.

  • Example: [http://site.com](http://site.com) shows "Not Secure", while [https://site.com](https://site.com) shows a secure lock icon.


Part 2: Practical

Step 1: Add Domain to Cloudflare

  1. Go to dash.cloudflare.com and log in or create a free account.
  2. Click Add a site in the top right.
  3. Enter your domain name (e.g., mybrand.com.np).
  4. Select the Free plan tier and click Continue.
  5. Cloudflare will scan your existing DNS records; click Continue to confirm.
  6. Copy the two custom Cloudflare Nameservers shown on the screen (e.g., ns1.cloudflare.com and ns2.cloudflare.com).

Step 2: Update Nameservers at register.com.np

  1. Log in to your account at register.com.np.
  2. Go to Active Domain and select your approved .com.np domain name.
  3. Click Edit DNS / Change Nameservers.
  4. Remove the default nameservers (e.g., np-ns.mercantile.com.np).
  5. Enter the two Cloudflare Nameservers copied in Step 1.
  6. Save your changes and wait for DNS propagation (can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours).

Step 3: Configure Blogger Custom Domain & DNS Records

1. Get Google Verification Details from Blogger

  1. Open Blogger.com \rightarrow Settings \rightarrow Publishing.
  2. Click Custom domain.
  3. Type your full domain with www (e.g., [www.mybrand.com](https://www.mybrand.com).np) and click Save.
  4. An error message will display showing two CNAME records generated by Google:
    • CNAME 1: Name: www | Target: ghs.googlehosted.com
    • CNAME 2: Name: [random code] | Target: [random code.googlehosted.com]


2. Add Records into Cloudflare DNS

  1. Open your Cloudflare dashboard and go to DNS \rightarrow Records.

  2. Add the 2 CNAME Records:

    • Click Add record \rightarrow Type: CNAME \rightarrow Name: www \rightarrow Target: ghs.googlehosted.com \rightarrow Proxy status: DNS only \rightarrow Save.
    • Click Add record \rightarrow Type: CNAME \rightarrow Name: [random code] \rightarrow Target: [random code.googlehosted.com] \rightarrow Proxy status: DNS only \rightarrow Save.

  3. Add the 4 Google A Records (points your apex domain mybrand.com.np to Google IPs):

    • Add A Record: Name: @ | IPv4 address: 216.239.32.21 | Proxy: Proxied
    • Add A Record: Name: @ | IPv4 address: 216.239.34.21 | Proxy: Proxied
    • Add A Record: Name: @ | IPv4 address: 216.239.36.21 | Proxy: Proxied
    • Add A Record: Name: @ | IPv4 address: 216.239.38.21 | Proxy: Proxied

3. Complete Setup in Blogger

  1. Return to Blogger Settings \rightarrow Custom domain and click Save.
  2. Enable the toggle for Redirect domain (redirects mybrand.com.np to [www.mybrand.com](https://www.mybrand.com).np).

Step 4: Enable Security & HTTPS in Cloudflare (10 Mins)

  1. In Cloudflare, navigate to SSL/TLS in the left menu.
  2. Under Overview, set the encryption mode to Flexible or Full.
  3. Go to SSL/TLS \rightarrow Edge Certificates.
  4. Turn ON the toggle for Always Use HTTPS (automatically shifts non-secure http requests to https).
  5. Back in Blogger Settings \rightarrow HTTPS, enable HTTPS availability and HTTPS redirect.
  6. Open a browser and type [www.mybrand.com](https://www.mybrand.com).np to confirm your domain shows a green padlock icon!

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