How to Set Up Domain Name and DNS Settings on VPS? (Cloudflare + Panel Installation)

How to Set Up Domain Name and DNS Settings on VPS (Cloudflare + Panel Installation)

Today, virtual private servers (VPS) for websites offer more control, performance, and scalability compared to shared hosting. After setting up your VPS, you need to connect your domain name to your VPS and configure your DNS settings to make your site accessible on the internet. In this article, we will explain step by step how to connect a domain name to your VPS, how to manage DNS settings with Cloudflare, and how to install a control panel.

1. Domain Name Registration and VPS Selection

Before you begin, you will need a domain name and a VPS. If you don't already have a domain name, you can purchase one from a domain name registrar such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Google Domains. The choice of VPS depends on your website's needs and budget. You can choose from popular VPS providers such as DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, or Amazon Web Services (AWS). The operating system (e.g., Ubuntu, CentOS, or Debian) and resources (RAM, CPU, disk space) of your chosen VPS should meet your website's requirements.

2. What is DNS and Why is it Important?

DNS (Domain Name System) is like the internet's phone book. It translates domain names (e.g., example.com), which people can easily remember, into IP addresses (e.g., 192.0.2.1), which computers can understand. When a user types a domain name into their browser, DNS servers translate that domain name into the corresponding IP address and allow the user to access the website. Correct DNS settings ensure that your website is fast, reliable, and accessible.

3. DNS Management with Cloudflare

Cloudflare is a CDN (Content Delivery Network) and security company that offers a range of services for websites. Cloudflare's DNS management service is a free and easy-to-use solution. Managing your DNS records using Cloudflare improves your website's performance, strengthens its security, and provides protection against DDoS attacks.

3.1. Creating a Cloudflare Account and Adding a Domain Name

First, go to the Cloudflare website and create a free account. After creating your account, add your domain name to Cloudflare by clicking on the "Add a Site" option. Cloudflare will scan your domain name and automatically detect your existing DNS records. Then, it will offer you a range of plans. You can continue by selecting the free plan.

3.2. Updating Cloudflare Nameservers

After adding your domain name to Cloudflare, Cloudflare will give you two nameserver addresses. You need to update these nameserver addresses from the panel of the company where you purchased your domain name. For example, go to the page where you manage your domain's DNS settings in GoDaddy and replace the existing nameservers with the nameservers provided by Cloudflare. This process allows you to transfer the DNS management of your domain name to Cloudflare. It may take some time for the nameserver changes to propagate on the internet (usually completed within a few hours).

3.3. Configuring DNS Records

After updating the nameservers, you can configure your DNS records from the Cloudflare panel. The most basic DNS records are the A record and the CNAME record.

A Record: Connects a domain name or subdomain directly to an IP address. You will need to create an A record using your VPS's IP address. For example, you can create an A record to connect your domain name (example.com) to your VPS's IP address (192.0.2.1).
Example:

Type: A

Name: @ (or your domain name)

Content: 192.0.2.1 (Your VPS IP Address)
CNAME Record: Connects a domain name or subdomain to another domain name. It is often used to redirect the "www" subdomain to the main domain. For example, you can create a CNAME record to redirect www.example.com to example.com.
Example:

Type: CNAME

Name: www

Content: example.com

You can also easily add and edit MX records (for email server), TXT records (for verification), and other DNS record types from the Cloudflare panel.

4. Control Panel Installation (Example: CyberPanel)

You can install a control panel to manage your VPS more easily. There are many popular control panels such as cPanel, Plesk, CyberPanel, and Webmin. In this article, we will take the installation of CyberPanel, a free and open-source control panel, as an example.

4.1. CyberPanel Installation

To install CyberPanel, you need to connect to your VPS via SSH. Connect to your VPS using a terminal or an SSH client such as PuTTY. After connecting, run the following commands in order:

sudo apt update (for Ubuntu/Debian) or sudo yum update (for CentOS)
sudo apt install wget (If wget is not installed)
wget https://cyberpanel.net/install.sh
chmod +x install.sh
sudo ./install.sh

The installation script will ask you a series of questions. You can usually accept the default options. After the installation is complete, you can access CyberPanel via your web browser. CyberPanel's default port is 8090. So, to access CyberPanel, you will need to type https://VPS_IP_Address:8090 into your browser. The username for the first login will be "admin" and the password will be the password you set during the installation.

4.2. Adding a Site and DNS Records with CyberPanel

After logging into CyberPanel, you can create a new website from the "Create Website" section. When creating a website, you will need to enter your domain name and select a package. Then, CyberPanel will automatically create the necessary DNS records. However, if you are managing DNS through Cloudflare, ignore the DNS records created by CyberPanel and manually create the necessary A and CNAME records from the Cloudflare panel.

5. SSL Certificate Installation

It is important to install an SSL certificate for the security of your website. An SSL certificate encrypts the communication between your website and your visitors' browsers and ensures that sensitive data (e.g., passwords, credit card information) is transmitted securely. Cloudflare offers free SSL certificates. You can activate the SSL certificate by going to the SSL/TLS section in the Cloudflare panel.

Control panels such as CyberPanel also work integrated with free SSL certificate providers such as Let's Encrypt. You can easily create and install your website's SSL certificate in CyberPanel.

Conclusion and Summary

In this article, we explained step by step how to connect a domain name to your VPS, how to manage DNS settings with Cloudflare, and how to install a control panel (CyberPanel). Correct DNS settings ensure that your website is fast, reliable, and accessible. Cloudflare is a powerful tool for DNS management, security, and performance optimization. A control panel helps you manage your VPS more easily. By following these steps, you can successfully connect your website to your VPS and publish it on the internet.