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dnsmigrator

Namecheap BasicDNS RWTH Aachen DNS-Admin

Migrate DNS from Namecheap to RWTH.

7 record types move as they are. 2 things work differently at RWTH, 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
  • TXT
  • NS
  • CAA

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.

A typical Namecheap zone at RWTH

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

Namecheap RWTH

  • UnsupportedALIAS@

    Not migrated

    @ is an alias to app.example-host.net at the zone apex. RWTH doesn't support apex aliases or CNAMEs.

  • 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"

  • ExactCNAMEblog

    example.github.io.

  • UnsupportedURL301go

    Not migrated

    URL301 is a Namecheap redirect feature, not a DNS record. Recreate it as a redirect rule at RWTH.

  • ExactCNAMEwww

    example.com.

How the move works

  1. 1

    Connect Namecheap

    Connect Namecheap with read-only access (API user + API key, with our egress IP allow-listed).

  2. 2

    Connect RWTH

    Connect RWTH (DNS-Admin API token (PRIVATE-TOKEN header)). 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 RWTH

    We snapshot the RWTH zone, write in batches, and leave Namecheap untouched.

  5. 5

    Verify

    We query RWTH'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 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 RWTH

  • The DNS-Admin API is only reachable from the RWTH network (campus or VPN), so the hosted service cannot connect; use the DNSMigrator CLI from inside the network.
  • Changes are staged and published by a zone deploy; RWTH deploys zones in 15-minute cycles, so updates can take that long to appear.
  • Zones are assigned by the RWTH IT Center and cannot be created through the API; the SOA record is locked.

Access we need: A DNS-Admin API token with your DNS-Admin rights, optionally restricted to a sub-domain. Tokens are not read-only, so the same token is used for preview and apply.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from Namecheap to RWTH?

Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to RWTH 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 RWTH and publish its new DS record. The cutover plan walks you through each step.

Related migrations

Ready to see your own zone?

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