Configuring DNS with Route 53
Understanding Domains
A domain is your website’s unique address (like www.yourwebsite.com) that users type in their browsers. It’s managed by DNS servers, and that’s where Route 53 comes in.
Amazon Route 53 is a reliable and scalable DNS cloud service. DNS stands for Domain Name System — a system that translates domain names into IP addresses.
When you type a domain into your browser, the browser sends a request to a DNS server to look up the IP address associated with that domain name. The DNS server then returns the IP address to the browser, which uses it to connect to the website. In other words, DNS is like a phone book for the internet.
Log in to the Route 53 console to get started with DNS management.
Note: If you don’t have a domain yet, you can register one with providers like Hostinger, GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc., for as little as $0.99. You can also register one on Route 53. For a list of all Route 53 domain prices, see Domain Name Pricing.
Creating a Hosted Zone
To manage your domain with Route 53, you have to create a hosted zone.
Hosted zones are used to add and store DNS records — instructions within DNS servers that provide information about a domain, including what IP address it is associated with, and how to handle requests for it. There are several types of DNS records, including:
A record — The record that holds the IP address of a domain.
AAAA record — The record that contains the IPv6 address for a domain (as opposed to A records, which list the IPv4 address).
CNAME record — Forwards one domain or subdomain to another domain, does NOT provide an IP address.
MX record — Directs mail to an email server.
TXT record — Lets an admin store text notes in the record. These records are often used for email security.
NS record — Stores the name server for a DNS entry.
SOA record — Stores admin information about a domain.
SRV record — Specifies a port for specific services.
PTR record — Provides a domain name in reverse-lookups.
To create a hosted zone, click on create hosted zone at your Route 53 console.
Next, add your domain name and select Public hosted zone, then proceed.
Hosted zones are automatically created for domains registered with Route 53. If registered elsewhere, you’ll need to create new records for your hosted zone to route DNS traffic to AWS servers, instead of your domain host’s servers.
To do this, locate the NS records of your newly created hosted zone and copy them down.
Now, go to the DNS management settings on your domain provider and locate any NS records. When found, replace the name servers with the ones you copied from your AWS hosted zone, and select save.
* Nameservers may take some time to sync.
Amazon Route 53 Pricing
Pricing depends on the number of domain names managed, the number of Hosted Zones used, and the number of end user queries — requests made by users of your website to access information or perform an action on the site. The website then processes these queries and returns the appropriate information or performs the requested action.
The DNS queries will be charged at $0.40 for the first 1 billion queries, while hosted zones cost $0.50 per month for the first 25 hosted zones — Hosted zones deleted within the first 12hrs of its creation won’t be charged.
