# Misconfigured DNS preventing discourse-setup completion
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935
**Category:** Self-hosting
**Created:** [March 20, 2020, 11:54am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935 "2020-03-20T11:54:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@nory](https://meta.discourse.org/u/nory)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2020, 11:54am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935/1 "2020-03-20T11:54:33Z")
Hi,
I have created a new droplet “Discourse-beta-ubuntu”, then I connected to the Droplet with Putty (root - password) and Discourse’s setup is started.
But setup doesn’t work:
```plaintext
Ports 80 and 443 are free for use
'samples/standalone.yml' -> 'containers/app.yml'
Found 1GB of memory and 1 physical CPU cores
setting db_shared_buffers = 128MB
setting UNICORN_WORKERS = 2
containers/app.yml memory parameters updated.
Hostname for your Discourse? [discourse.example.com]: forum.mywebsite.eu
Checking your domain name . . .
WARNING:: This server does not appear to be accessible at forum.mywebsite.eu:443.
A connection to http://forum.mywebsite.eu (port 80) also fails.
This suggests that forum.mywebsite.eu resolves to the wrong IP address
or that traffic is not being routed to your server.
Google: "open ports YOUR CLOUD SERVICE" for information for resolving this problem.
If you want to proceed anyway, you will need to
edit the containers/app.yml file manually.
Discourse is now installed. Log into your admin account in a browser to continue
configuring Discourse.
```
I have bought the domaind from register.it and added to Cloudflare. I have changed only DNS, to redirect to Cloudflare.
---
### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2020, 1:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935/2 "2020-03-20T13:06:53Z")
> [@nory](#):
>
> I have changed only DNS, to redirect to Cloudflare.
Ok and does Cloudflare say the domain is now active on their service? As you have substituted out the URL in the above we can’t check directly.
Have you created a ‘A’ record on Cloudflare for your forum subdomain pointed at the droplet IP address?
---
### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2020, 1:53pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935/3 "2020-03-20T13:53:45Z")
If that message said this would it http?
```plaintext
Hostname for your Discourse? [discourse.example.com]: myforum.us
Checking your domain name . . .
WARNING: Port 443 of computer does not appear to be accessible using hostname: myforum.us.
WARNING: Connection to http://myforum.us (port 80) also fails.
This suggests that myforum.us resolves to some IP address that does not reach this
machine where you are installing discourse.
The first thing to do is confirm that myforum.us resolves to the IP address of this server.
You usually do this at the same place you purchased the domain.
If you are sure that the IP address resolves correctly, it could be a firewall issue.
A web search for "open ports YOUR CLOUD SERVICE" might help.
This tool is designed only for the most standard installations. If you cannot resolve
the issue above, you will need to edit containers/app.yml yourself and then type
./launcher rebuild app
```
---
### Author:  [@nory](https://meta.discourse.org/u/nory)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2020, 2:24pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935/4 "2020-03-20T14:24:39Z")
Ok, I have changed. Now I’m not using Cloudflare but I have directly modified the nameservers from namecheap and put those of DigitalOcean:
On DO domain control panel I have added all (and more 😃 ):
omaggieconcorsi.online domain
forum.omaggieconcorsi.online subdomain created only on DO Control Panel
Thank you ☹
---
### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2020, 2:37pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935/5 "2020-03-20T14:37:57Z")
So the language in my post helped?
Also, you could have used cloudflare as your name server, but just needed to create the A record for your digital ocean server (with the orange cloud turned off), but as long as you remember that digital ocean is where to manage your DNS in the future your current solution is fine.
---
### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2020, 3:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935/6 "2020-03-20T15:28:10Z")
Did you add additional NS records for the `forum.omaggieconcorsi.online` subdomain, or is this a quirk of the DigitalOcean DNS interface?
To be clear, you only need NS records for your root domain (`omaggieconcorsi.online`) unless you plan to delegate DNS to different name servers for specific subdomains.
If you added them yourself I would remove them again, it will work without.
Also please note that while you have redirected three domains to your droplet, Discourse can only operate under a single DNS address. The others will redirect as long as the protocol isn’t specified.
---
### Author:  [@nory](https://meta.discourse.org/u/nory)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2020, 4:56pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935/7 "2020-03-20T16:56:34Z")
I have added manually _ **forum**.omaggieconcorsi.online_ on DigitalOcean DNS control panel.
During setup, when it asks me “Hostname for your Discourse? [[discourse.example.com](http://discourse.example.com)]:” what should I put, only _omaggieconcorsi.online_?
Because if I put _ **forum**.omaggieconcorsi.online_ and in DNS there is not this subdomain it shouldn’t work, right? Because Discourse would not find this subdomain “forum”.
Sorry, I always have to complicate my life ☹
---
### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2020, 4:59pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935/8 "2020-03-20T16:59:11Z")
You can use any of the three domain names you have pointed at the droplet IP on the understanding that it will be your forum URL, the other two will only redirect.
---
### Author:  [@supermathie](https://meta.discourse.org/u/supermathie)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2020, 6:14pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935/9 "2020-03-20T18:14:01Z")
What do you _want_ your forum hostname to be?
EDIT: I’m going to assume you want `forum.omaggieconcorsi.online`.
Delete the records marked with a RED ❌
Probably delete the record marked with a RED ❓
Delete the records marked with a PURPLE ❌ if you want to use `forum.omaggieconcorsi.online`
---
### Author:  [@nory](https://meta.discourse.org/u/nory)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2020, 9:31pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935/10 "2020-03-20T21:31:32Z")
Thanks a lot to everyone! For now I have installed Discourse on domain _omaggieconcorsi.online_, I’m trying it a bit to see if it’s ok for my project.
I’m using this:
First impressions: it’s really powerful! even notifications via browser when a user creates a post :o
Then Onebox, very useful for me because I report promotions from other sites, so I just need to put a link and automatically show a preview image of the site and the link, fabulous.
Same thing for bookmarks (keep track of expiring contests, daily, monthly) and all settings on event dates.
I also glimpsed the possibility of uploading various images to external services (I also believe imgur) so as to save a lot of space on the disk (I have users who post photos of gifts received at maximum resolution, obviously not compressed or even resized).
The only things that block me a bit from using it: importing likes from mybb will be very hard (I’m still trying to import at least users and messages from mybb, but this in another thread); if something does not work with the server or I have to reinstall everything will be a mess (with a normal forum just save the files from ftp and the database and reinstall as it was before, but here I have practically nothing, everything is installed by DigitalOcean, I used their marketplace).
I don’t know ☹ Discouse really has many useful features that on other forums there aren’t, but on the other side I think it is dedicated to those who are experts in servers, Ruby etc. and who wants to keep up with the various problems. Only PHP and Mysql is simpler.
---
### Author:  [@riking](https://meta.discourse.org/u/riking)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2020, 9:43pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935/11 "2020-03-20T21:43:46Z")
> [@nory](#):
>
> with a normal forum just save the files from ftp and the database and reinstall as it was before, but here I have practically nothing
Try visiting [https://forum.omaggieconcorsi.online/admin/backups](https://forum.omaggieconcorsi.online/admin/backups) 🙂 - that’s how you move to a new server.
> [@nory](#):
>
> importing likes from mybb will be very hard
If you’re doing an import, you may want to get help from more technical members of your community or someone from here experienced in imports.
At the end of the import, you will have a backup that you can restore onto this server you just created.
---
### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935/12 "2020-03-20T21:48:39Z")
> [@nory](#):
>
> if something does not work with the server or I have to reinstall everything will be a mess (with a normal forum just save the files from ftp and the database and reinstall as it was before,
All you need is a backup file, which has the database and all uploads. No FTP necessary.
---
### Author:  [@Remah](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Remah)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2020, 9:38pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935/13 "2020-03-21T21:38:38Z")
> [@nory](#):
>
> Discouse really has many useful features that on other forums there aren’t, but on the other side I think it is dedicated to those who are experts in servers, Ruby etc. and who wants to keep up with the various problems. Only PHP and Mysql is simpler.
Discourse doesn’t normally require any expertise. I’ve never had to know any of those things you mention to install and administer Discourse. So I don’t want potential users to be put off by your comment.
Editing a yaml file to add a plug-in is the highest level of technical ability that I have needed and that simple process is well-documented in this forum.
One big exception would be if I needed to migrate data from a different application. But, depending on the application, that has also been done by people who are not experts in any part of IT.
---
### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2020, 9:53pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/misconfigured-dns-preventing-discourse-setup-completion/144935/14 "2020-03-21T21:53:38Z")
@nory your problem was not getting dns right, which would be exactly the same for any web site.