Troubleshooting
Check your DNS
Use nslookup, Resolve-DnsName or dig to see whether your domain's records point at FiniteHost yet.
On this page
After you change DNS records at your registrar, the change spreads to the world's DNS servers over minutes to hours. This is called propagation. Instead of waiting and hoping, you can ask a public DNS server directly what it sees. This guide shows the commands for Windows, macOS and Linux, and what the right answers look like.
Before you start#
- Open Domains & DNS in the panel and note your values. In this guide the examples are:
| Name | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
acme.in | A | 108.181.215.252 |
www.acme.in | CNAME | acme-in.b-cdn.net |
acme.in | MX | 10 mx1.finitehost.com |
- Use your domain and your values from the panel in the commands.
Check from Windows#
- Open a terminal. Press the Windows key, type
cmdorPowerShell, and press Enter. - Check the A record against Google's public DNS:
nslookup acme.in 8.8.8.8The answer should end with Address: 108.181.215.252 and show no other address.
- Check the www CNAME against Cloudflare's public DNS:
nslookup -type=CNAME www.acme.in 1.1.1.1Look for canonical name = acme-in.b-cdn.net.
- Or use PowerShell, which gives tidier output:
Resolve-DnsName acme.in -Server 8.8.8.8
Resolve-DnsName www.acme.in -Type CNAME -Server 8.8.8.8
Resolve-DnsName acme.in -Type MX -Server 8.8.8.8Check from macOS or Linux#
- Open Terminal.
- Run these commands:
dig +short acme.in @8.8.8.8
dig +short www.acme.in CNAME @8.8.8.8
dig +short MX acme.in @8.8.8.8
dig +short AAAA acme.in @8.8.8.8Correct answers for the example:
108.181.215.252
acme-in.b-cdn.net.
10 mx1.finitehost.com.The last command (AAAA) should print nothing. An IPv6 address there, left over from an old host, sends some visitors and the certificate check to the wrong place.
Reading the results#
| You see | It means | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| The FiniteHost IP only | The A record is right | Wait for HTTPS; see HTTPS is not working |
| An old IP | The change has not spread yet, or was not saved | Check the record at your registrar; wait for the TTL |
| Two IPs | An extra A record (often a parking page) | Delete the other A record |
Cloudflare IPs (104.x, 172.67.x) | Cloudflare proxy is on | Set the records to DNS only (grey cloud) |
NXDOMAIN / "Non-existent domain" | The name has no records, or nameservers are wrong | Check the domain is registered and its nameservers are the ones where you edit records |
www returns an IP, not a CNAME | www is an A record | Replace it with the CNAME from the panel |
Why it takes time: TTL#
Every record has a TTL (time to live), in seconds. DNS servers keep an answer for that long before asking again. If the old record had a TTL of 86400 (one day), some servers can show the old value for up to a day after your change.
Clear your own computer's cache#
Your computer also remembers answers. If public DNS shows the right value but your browser still opens the old site:
- Windows:
ipconfig /flushdns - macOS:
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder - Browsers: close all windows, or try a private window.
- Office or home router: restarting it clears its cache too.
Online "DNS propagation checker" websites ask DNS servers in many countries at once. They are handy to see whether the change has reached everywhere, but the commands above are the most reliable answer.
What's next#
Was this helpful?
Still stuck?
Email support@finitehost.com with your subscription ID (it starts with t, shown on the panel's Dashboard) and what you tried. A person replies, usually within one business day.
Last updated 27 October 2026. Found something wrong? Tell support@finitehost.com.