Your VPS address and DNS records

Your server's own address

Every Nordweb virtual server gets its own address under nordvps.fi when it is set up, for example 2532.nordvps.fi. The address points to your server's IP address, so you can reach the server by name right away without a domain of your own.

You can find the address at the top of the server card on the VPS tab of your account, with a copy button next to it.

Why the identifier is a number

The identifier is a random number so that it cannot resemble anyone's brand and so that names do not turn into a race. The identifier cannot currently be chosen or changed.

The server name is not the address

The server name you gave when ordering is an internal identifier shown in the management view and on the server itself. It is not a public address and you cannot reach the server with it. Always use the nordvps.fi address or the server's IP address.

Your own names under the address

You can freely create your own names under your address, for example app.2532.nordvps.fi for an application and db.2532.nordvps.fi for a database. That gives each service a clear address without a domain of your own.

1. Sign in to your account and open the VPS tab.
2. Open the gear menu on the server card and choose DNS records for the address.
3. Choose Add record, pick the type and write the name.

Names are written relative to your own address. The character @ means the address itself and plain app means app.2532.nordvps.fi. You can only see and edit the records of your own server.

Supported record types

• A and AAAA point a name to an IP address
• CNAME points a name to another name
• MX tells where email is delivered
• TXT is free text, for example verifications and SPF records
• SRV, CAA and NS for special needs

A change usually shows up on the name servers within a few minutes. The old value can still live in caches for the length of the TTL, so shorten the TTL in advance if you know you are about to move an address.

HTTPS and the TLS certificate

The address works without encryption by default. When you want to use HTTPS, get a certificate from your account and install it on your server. We obtain and renew the certificate for you, but we never connect to your server, so the installation is up to you.

1. Open the VPS tab in your account and the gear menu on the server card.
2. Choose TLS certificate and press Get certificate. It takes about half a minute.
3. Download both files: the certificate and the private key.
4. Copy the files to the server, for example into /etc/ssl/nordweb/, and point your web server at them.

The private key is a secret. Do not send it by email, and restrict the file so that only root can read it: sudo chmod 600 /etc/ssl/nordweb/privkey.pem.

nginx

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name 2532.nordvps.fi;

    ssl_certificate     /etc/ssl/nordweb/fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/ssl/nordweb/privkey.pem;
}

Check the configuration and apply it: sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx

Apache

<VirtualHost *:443>
    ServerName 2532.nordvps.fi

    SSLEngine on
    SSLCertificateFile    /etc/ssl/nordweb/fullchain.pem
    SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/ssl/nordweb/privkey.pem
</VirtualHost>

Enable the module if needed and reload the configuration: sudo a2enmod ssl && sudo apachectl configtest && sudo systemctl reload apache2

Renewing the certificate

We renew the certificate automatically before it expires. The renewed certificate does not reach your server by itself, because we never connect to it. Download the new certificate from your account, replace the old files and reload your web server configuration.

A factory reset does not lose the certificate, because it is not stored on the server. Download it again after the reset and install it the same way as the first time.

When you take your own domain into use

Your own domain and the nordvps.fi address work side by side. You can build the service ready on the nordvps.fi address and point your own domain to the same IP address only once everything is in place.