Hurricane Electric DNS IBM NS1 Connect
Migrate DNS from Hurricane Electric to NS1.
14 record types move as they are. 1 things work differently at NS1, and the preview shows exactly which of your records they affect.
Free preview. Read-only. Nothing changes until you apply.
Hurricane Electric to NS1 DNS migration differences
Generated from the same provider capability data the migration engine uses.
Moves as-is
- A
- AAAA
- CNAME
- MX
- TXT
- NS
- SRV
- CAA
- ALIAS
- PTR
- HTTPS
- SVCB
- NAPTR
- SPF
LOC, RP, SSHFP aren't available
A typical Hurricane Electric zone at NS1
Example records for example.com. Open any flagged row to read why it changed.
Hurricane Electric NS1
- ExactA@
192.0.2.70
- ExactAAAA@
2001:db8::70
- ExactMX@
10 mx1.mail.example.net. +1
- ExactTXT@
"v=spf1 include:_spf.example.net -all"
- ExactCAA@
0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
- ExactTXT_dmarc
"v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com"
- ExactSRV_sip._tls
100 1 443 sip.example.net.
- ExactCNAMEwww
example.com.
| Status | Type | Name | At NS1 | TTL | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exact | A | @ |
| 5m | |
| Exact | AAAA | @ |
| 5m | |
| Exact | MX | @ |
| 1h | |
| Exact | TXT | @ |
| 1h | |
| Exact | CAA | @ |
| 1h | |
| Exact | TXT | _dmarc |
| 1h | |
| Exact | SRV | _sip._tls |
| 1h | |
| Exact | CNAME | www |
| 1h |
Set up the connections
Use the provider-specific credential guides before you preview, then keep the migration checklist beside the cutover plan.
How the move works
- 1
Connect Hurricane Electric
Connect Hurricane Electric with read-only access (Account username + password (+ TOTP)).
- 2
Connect NS1
Connect NS1 (API key). Write access is only used when you apply.
- 3
Review the preview
Check every record marked Review or Unsupported. Each one explains what changes and why.
- 4
Apply to NS1
We snapshot the NS1 zone, write in batches, and leave Hurricane Electric untouched.
- 5
Verify
We query NS1's own nameservers for every record and compare the answers before you switch.
- 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 Hurricane Electric
- Dynamic DNS records keep their own update keys, which can't be read back and must be set again after a move.
Access we need: Hurricane Electric has no API keys or scoped roles; access means full control of the whole account.
Good to know about NS1
- Records that use filter chains, answer metadata, data feeds or record links are copied as plain answers only and flagged in their comment. We never overwrite them on NS1.
- DNSSEC has to be available on the NS1 account before it can be turned on for a zone.
- NS1 changes one record set per request, so large zones take longer and count against the API rate limit.
Access we need: DNS → View zones for the preview; DNS → View zones and Manage zones to apply.
Questions
Will there be downtime moving from Hurricane Electric to NS1?
Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to NS1 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 Hurricane Electric?
No. We never write to Hurricane Electric. 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 NS1 and publish its new DS record. The cutover plan walks you through each step.
Ready to see your own zone?