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dnsmigrator

Cloudflare DNS OpenWrt

Migrate DNS from Cloudflare to OpenWrt.

5 record types move as they are. 6 things work differently at OpenWrt, and the preview shows exactly which of your records they affect.

Free preview. Read-only. Nothing changes until you apply.

What works differently

Generated from the same provider capability data the migration engine uses.

Moves as-is

  • A
  • AAAA
  • CNAME
  • MX
  • SRV

Proxied records lose the CDN

OpenWrt has no equivalent of Cloudflare's proxy. Proxied records move as plain records pointing at your origin, which exposes the origin IP. Put a CDN in front before cutting over if that matters.

Apex CNAMEs need a different shape

OpenWrt doesn't allow a CNAME at the apex and has no alias record for external hostnames. These become static A/AAAA records, which don't follow the target if its IPs change.

TTLs below 300s are raised

OpenWrt's minimum TTL is 300 seconds. Shorter TTLs are raised to 300s and shown as translated.

"Auto" TTLs get a real value

Cloudflare's automatic TTL has no equivalent, so those records get OpenWrt's default of 300s.

Domains registered at Cloudflare must transfer out

Cloudflare Registrar only allows Cloudflare's nameservers. If the domain is registered there, transfer it to another registrar before switching.

A typical Cloudflare zone at OpenWrt

Example records for example.com. Open any flagged row to read why it changed.

Cloudflare OpenWrt

  • UnsupportedCNAME@

    Not migrated

    @ is a CNAME at the zone apex. OpenWrt doesn't allow that, and app.example-host.net isn't a target it can alias.

  • TranslatedMX@

    10 mx1.mail.example.net. +1

    TTL 3600s is outside the allowed range. Set to 300s.

  • UnsupportedTXT@

    Not migrated

    OpenWrt doesn't support TXT records through its API.

  • UnsupportedCAA@

    Not migrated

    OpenWrt doesn't support CAA records through its API.

  • UnsupportedTXT_dmarc

    Not migrated

    OpenWrt doesn't support TXT records through its API.

  • TranslatedSRV_sip._tls

    100 1 443 sip.example.net.

    TTL 3600s is outside the allowed range. Set to 300s.

  • ExactAmail

    203.0.113.25

  • ReviewAshop

    203.0.113.10

    TTL was "auto". Set to 300s.

  • TranslatedCNAMEwww

    example.com.

    TTL 3600s is outside the allowed range. Set to 300s.

How the move works

  1. 1

    Connect Cloudflare

    Connect Cloudflare with read-only access (Scoped API token).

  2. 2

    Connect OpenWrt

    Connect OpenWrt (LuCI URL + username + password (LuCI JSON-RPC, luci-mod-rpc)). Write access is only used when you apply.

  3. 3

    Review the preview

    Check every record marked Review or Unsupported. Each one explains what changes and why.

  4. 4

    Apply to OpenWrt

    We snapshot the OpenWrt zone, write in batches, and leave Cloudflare untouched.

  5. 5

    Verify

    We query OpenWrt's own nameservers for every record and compare the answers before you switch.

  6. 6

    Switch nameservers

    Lower TTLs a day or two ahead, remove any DS record if DNSSEC is on, then point the domain at the new nameservers at your registrar.

Good to know about Cloudflare

  • Proxied (orange-cloud) records hide the origin IP. Moving them to another provider sends traffic straight to the origin.
  • Apex CNAMEs are flattened by Cloudflare. Other providers need an ALIAS record or static A/AAAA records instead.
  • Cloudflare Registrar only allows Cloudflare nameservers, so domains registered there must be transferred out first.

Access we need: Zone → DNS → Read for the preview, Zone → DNS → Edit to apply.

Good to know about OpenWrt

  • Routers usually sit on a private network; we refuse private and internal addresses by design, so LuCI must be exposed publicly over HTTPS with a trusted certificate (ideally allow-listed to our egress IPs).
  • dnsmasq local records have no per-record TTL, so every record is reported and written with a fixed TTL of 300 seconds.
  • Records live in one flat list on the router, so a zone is simply the set of names under that domain; wildcard CNAMEs, null MX and null-target SRV records are not supported.

Access we need: LuCI logins are not scoped: the account can read and change the whole router configuration. We only touch dnsmasq host, CNAME, MX and SRV entries in /etc/config/dhcp.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from Cloudflare to OpenWrt?

Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to OpenWrt and verified before you change nameservers, so resolvers get the same answer from either side while caches expire.

Do I have to delete anything at Cloudflare?

No. We never write to Cloudflare. Keep the old zone for a week after cutover so you can switch back instantly if anything looks wrong.

What about DNSSEC?

If DNSSEC is on, remove the DS record at your registrar and wait for it to expire before switching nameservers. Then enable DNSSEC at OpenWrt and publish its new DS record. The cutover plan walks you through each step.

What happens to Cloudflare proxied records?

They move as ordinary records pointing at your origin server, because OpenWrt can't proxy traffic. The preview lists every proxied record and the IP it would expose.

Related migrations

Ready to see your own zone?

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