Custom Nameservers Setup Guide
for Handshake TLDs (.ez)

Summary – Why This Matters Now

• Goal: Run your own authoritative DNS servers to bypass registrar limitations (especially recent Porkbun Handshake restrictions)
• Key Benefit: Full control over the .ez zone — custom records, TXT verification, future managed DNS features
• Main Trigger: Porkbun disabled/restricted free DNS hosting for many Handshake domains
• Chosen Method: ICANN-style nameservers under ezdomains.io (no glue records needed)

Recommended Setup – ICANN-Style Nameservers

Nameserver Hostnames

• ns1.ezdomains.io
• ns2.ezdomains.io
• (Optional: ns3/ns4 later for extra redundancy)

Infrastructure Requirements

• ≥ 2 geographically separate VPS
• Recommended providers: DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, Hetzner Cloud, Oracle Cloud Free Tier (if port 53 allowed)
• Open ports: UDP 53 + TCP 53
• IPv4 required • IPv6 recommended

Popular DNS Software Choices

• Knot DNS or NSD → lightweight, authoritative-only (recommended)
• BIND9 → most documented & widely used

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

1. Add A (and AAAA) records for ns1.ezdomains.io & ns2.ezdomains.io in your ezdomains.io DNS panel
2. Install chosen DNS software on both servers
3. Create the ez. zone file:
   • SOA record
   • NS records → ns1.ezdomains.io + ns2.ezdomains.io
   • Initial records for your SLDs (e.g. cash.ez A 1.2.3.4)
4. Set up master/slave or manual zone sync (rsync recommended for simplicity)
5. Test resolution: dig @<VPS-IP> cash.ez

Updating Nameservers at Porkbun

For the TLD .ez:

1. Domain management → Nameservers → Custom
2. Enter:
   • ns1.ezdomains.io
   • ns2.ezdomains.io
3. No glue records needed (NS are outside .ez)
4. If you see "Weird! Unable to modify..." error:
   • Switch to Porkbun defaults first
   • Immediately switch back to custom
   • Still blocked? → Open support ticket

Handshake On-Chain & DNSSEC

• Update .ez NS records on-chain (HNS wallet or supported bridge)
• DNSSEC (strongly recommended):
  • Sign the ez. zone
  • Submit DS record to registrar (if supported for Handshake)

Important – Registrar-Specific Notes (Porkbun)

• Recent change: Many Handshake domains lost free DNS
• Custom NS usually works after workaround (defaults → custom)
• Support ticket template example:

  "Please allow custom nameservers for my Handshake TLD .ez. I would like to use ns1.ezdomains.io (IP: x.x.x.x) and ns2.ezdomains.io (IP: y.y.y.y). These are hosted on reliable infrastructure. No glue records needed."

Quick Safety Test Method

Good news: Porkbun only checks hostname format — not reachability

You can safely test setting custom NS → confirm it saves → immediately revert.
This proves whether custom nameservers are allowed without causing downtime.

Result from recent test: ✅ It worked! Porkbun accepted ns1.ezdomains.io + ns2.ezdomains.io

Costs & Effort Overview

Next Steps – Get Started

1. Spin up 2 VPS instances
2. Install BIND / Knot / NSD
3. Configure basic .ez zone
4. Test local resolution
5. Keep custom NS active once servers are live
6. 🎉 You now control DNS for the entire .ez ecosystem!