Namecheap BasicDNS OpenWrt

Migrate DNS from Namecheap to OpenWrt.

4 record types move as they are. 3 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

Alias records are converted

Namecheap alias records become CNAMEs below the apex. At the apex they need static addresses, and the preview shows which ones.

TXT, NS, CAA, URL, URL301, FRAME, MXE aren't available

OpenWrt can't store TXT, NS, CAA, URL, URL301, FRAME, MXE records through its API. They're marked Unsupported with the reason, never dropped silently.

TTLs below 300s are raised

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

A typical Namecheap zone at OpenWrt

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

Namecheap OpenWrt

UnsupportedALIAS@
Not migrated
@ is an alias to app.example-host.net at the zone apex. OpenWrt doesn't support apex aliases or CNAMEs.
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.
TranslatedCNAMEblog
example.github.io.
TTL 1800s is outside the allowed range. Set to 300s.
UnsupportedURL301go
Not migrated
URL301 is a Namecheap redirect feature, not a DNS record. Recreate it as a redirect rule at OpenWrt.
TranslatedCNAMEwww
example.com.
TTL 3600s is outside the allowed range. Set to 300s.

How each record at Namecheap BasicDNS translates to OpenWrt
Status	Type	Name	At OpenWrt	TTL
Unsupported	ALIAS	@	Not migrated	—
Translated	MX	@	10 mx1.mail.example.net. 20 mx2.mail.example.net.	5m
Unsupported	TXT	@	Not migrated	—
Unsupported	CAA	@	Not migrated	—
Unsupported	TXT	_dmarc	Not migrated	—
Translated	CNAME	blog	example.github.io.	5m
Unsupported	URL301	go	Not migrated	—
Translated	CNAME	www	example.com.	5m

How the move works

1
Connect Namecheap
Connect Namecheap with read-only access (API user + API key, with our egress IP allow-listed).
2
Connect OpenWrt
Connect OpenWrt (LuCI URL + username + password (LuCI JSON-RPC, luci-mod-rpc)). 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 OpenWrt
We snapshot the OpenWrt zone, write in batches, and leave Namecheap untouched.
5
Verify
We query OpenWrt'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 Namecheap

Namecheap's API replaces the whole host list on every write, so we always read, merge and then write.
SRV records can't be managed through the API.
URL redirect records are Namecheap-specific and aren't real DNS records.

Access we need: API access enabled under Profile → Tools, with our static IP added to the allow-list.

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 Namecheap 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 Namecheap?

No. We never write to Namecheap. 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.

Ready to see your own zone?

Start a free preview