Unable to manage domain name settings

I have been a long-time Dreamhost customer. I had a friend sign-up for DreamHostApps and in the sign-up process he bought a new domain name. He needs to manage the domain NAME - a service he PAID for. All he needs is to make 2 simple CNAME entries. In the email you sent him after he registered the domain has no mention of any restrictions, or upgrade requirements.

In fact this same e-mail directs him to https://panel.dreamhost.com/?tree=domain.registration to modify registration information, but he does NOT have access to this interface thru his DreamHostApps panel. This access only works for customers who have DreamHost web hosting.

IMHO, this is a serious bug. You are selling domain names, and you have a way for users to manage their domain name if they have full Dreamhost hosting, but you don't make this available to those who buy domain names thru DreamhostApps.

He's frustrated and mad at Dreamhost and he's mad at ME for recommending he try DreamhostApps. I'm sure this isn't the customer experience you guys want Dreamhost customers to have.

He (and I) are in email loops thru your support system and both of us have received replies from CSRs who can't wrap their heads around the idea that Dreamhost needs to support the domain NAME that was PURCHASED. This is not the service I expect from Dreamhost. I'm starting to regret that I suggested my friend try DreamhostApps.

Note: This problem is not about the Apps themselves. It's about how how you handle access for Domains that are registered as part of signing up for Dreamhost Apps, and how you are ignoring his very reasonable request to implement a 2 SIMPLE CNAME ENTRIES for his domain name.

While it may take some time to make changes to give DreamhostApps customers access to the domain management part of the panel, it shouldn't take any time at all for you guys to make the very simple CNAME changes he needs. In fact, it should have been done on his first email, instead of wasting all this time emailing with him (and now with me) to explain how he can "do it himself" (no, he can't, because you have a bug) or how you don't provide email support for Dreamhost Apps (this isn't about Apps, it's about the DOMAIN NAME).

Can someone please step up and fix this?

Reference tickets:

jcdill 23342536
samlin5 23342628
Dreamhost Support Ticket #2904001

What he needs:

www.samlinville.photography.com CNAME entry that points to domains.smugmug.com

samlinvillephotography.com CNAME entry that points to domains.smugmug.com

(He's currently using a subdomain at smugmug to setup his account there - you can see his site at samlinvillephotography.smugmug.com to verify that this is his site, and that you aren't pointing his domain at someone else's site.)

That's all he needs. He'd be happy to do this himself at https://panel.dreamhost.com/?tree=domain.registration but as noted above, he does NOT have access to domain tools when he logs in to the web panel.

Strange. May try sending an email via the Sales contact form on the site. This may get a response.

bump

We are still waiting to hear from someone who will provide support for the DOMAIN NAME that was purchased as part of signing up for DreamHostApps. All we need is a simple CNAME entry. We are unable to access the domain settings section of the panel, as noted upthread.

This forum is for DH customers. You should really send an e-mail to support.

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LOL. I've been trying to get support thru email - they keep saying the only support is HERE, but as you noted, I've received absolutely no support from DH staff on this forum.

In reply to:
I've been trying to get support thru email - they keep saying the only support is HERE, but as you noted, I've received absolutely no support from DH staff on this forum.

There is *no* support at all for DreamHost Apps from DreamHost staff, via email or otherwise. There *is* support via email for customers with full "paid" hosting accounts with DreamHost.

That said, while there is officially no support at all from DH Staff for DreamHost Apps, either by mail or here, you may have noticed a couple of our developers *have* been popping in here as the service is still in beta, so if you are reporting a bug, they may respond to you.

This is primarily a "customer to customer" venue, and you may find other users here that can help you with some DreamHost Apps related stuff, but this is not an official "support" channel to reach DreamHost, even for full "paid hosting" customers (they have a full email based support system available in their account control panel, unlike DreamHost Apps folks).

In other words, you should not expect any support from DreamHost staff on these forums (though some of us do stop in from time to time). wink

--rlparker
--DreamHost Tech Support

Actually during the beta of Dreamhost apps, this section of the panel will be used for reporting bugs by Dreamhost app customers, and developers will be actively checking this section.

Thanks for the bug report. I would like to apologize for us not checking up on this issue sooner, however, us developers need our weekend too. 8-)

I will be in tomorrow to take a look at things. Thanks again for the feedback!

Outstanding! smile

--rlparker
--DreamHost Tech Support

The problem is not with Dreamhost Apps per se (as I've repeatedly noted) - it's with the broken implementation of the domain tools into the panel provided for Dreamhost Apps customers who purchase a domain name as part of signing up for the Apps.

Dreamhost Apps is currently a free service that is in beta. It is reasonable that you provide limited support.

The domain name was paid for. That is not a beta product, it's a paid service that the customer expects to receive customer support for. When the DreamhostApps sign-up process gave an option to purchase a domain name as part of signing up, this is what I expected him to receive:

Your website says:

************
We allow all of our customers full control over their entire DNS settings via an area of our web panel. This allows them to do things like make sub-domains or email be handled by their own office servers or whatever they'd like! It's pretty advanced stuff and makes it very easy to break your hosting with us, so please only touch it if you really know what you're doing in regards to DNS already!
************

Further, the domain registration confirmation email from Dreamhost directed him to use this URL to mange his domain:

https://panel.dreamhost.com/?tree=domain.registration

That URL does provide all the services we expected - except we can't access it from his login (and we can't manage his domain name from my login).

We just need 2 very simple CNAME entries made, on the Domain Name that was paid for. We have received nothing but run-around, misdirection, etc. I've sent/received over a dozen emails and posts (not including autoresponders) trying to get this done and have many hours wasted, with nothing to show for it.

Is there anyone at Dreamhost who can actually solve this problem and make the CNAME entries? Or is this foo going to just continue until we can move the domain to another service?

This hasn't been a dream experience, it's been a foo. Is that the impression do you want to leave us with?

I understand your frustration completely. That problem with the broken implementation into the panel is a symptom of the "beta" nature of DreamHost Apps, and I see that one of our developers has indicated he will address this.

Paying for the domain via the DreamHost Apps service is, indeed, a beta service, and while it would be great if all such services worked perfectly out of the box, they sometimes don't (and that's why they are referred to as being in "beta" status).

The purchase of the domain name *is* what he received; unless I misunderstand the issue completely, what is at issue here is his inability to manage or set custom DNS records in connection with that purchase. He *should* be able to change his nameservers, and modify his whois information with that domain name purchase, and I agree that the interface to that feature for DreamHost Apps users is broken!

The section of the website that you quoted should definitely be re-written and be made more clear, but you have to also view it in context, and that context is for hosting customers - not domain registration only customers, or DH apps customer, etc. (and the fact that is does say "all of our customers" is an important part of what needs to be reworked).

Only hosting service customers (those with a hosting plan) have ever had control of DNS records here other than to set nameservers. The very text you quoted implies as much with the phrase " It's pretty advanced stuff and makes it very easy to break your hosting with us" - this implies this is a feature that requires hosting with us to be applicable.

Yes, the domain registration confirmation email is broken as well - he received the same confirmation as though he had purchased the domain as a DreamHost service customer, and it directed him to where he would manage his registration if he was, but that is not working at present for DreamHost Apps customers.

Actually, the URL https://panel.dreamhost.com/?tree=domain.registration does *not* provide all the services you expected, even if you could access it (and I agree that you should be able to access it), because you expect to be able to add CNAMES there, and even full-fledged paid hosting accounts can't do that from that account control panel section. CNAMES and other custom DNS records are accessed only from the *hosting* section of "Domains -> Manage Domains" and are not accessible from the registrations area, or for customers that do not have hosting plans (even if they registered a domain from our signup page).

I know that our developers have noted this problem, and I have reviewed your support history regarding this. I fully expect that there will be a fix in place as soon as possible to allow your friend to manage his registration, but that is not going to solve your issue with the fact that DreamHost does not provide DNS services with domain registration. While I could be wrong, it think it unlikely that that will change anytime soon, if at all.

Of course, your friend's needs could still be met if he could properly set his nameservers (as he should be able to), because he could then point those to a DNS provider of his choosing and set whatever DNS records he wants there (CNAME, MX, etc.).

As for your final questions about the CNAME entries you want, I'll leave that to the support channel communications you have received, and our developers, as that was not a service that was envisioned for DreamHost Apps, and they will need to respond to your on that matter.

Finally, I am (and our developers are) certainly disappointed that our initial attempt to make DreamHost aAps a "cool thing for free" resulted in the degree for frustration you have experienced, and I am deeply sorry for that.

It is my hope that if you have further dealings with DreamHost, or try our mature products that are not in beta, you will appreciate some of the flexibility, power, and value we have worked so hard to bring to you and that the "bad taste in your mouth" over this situation will be mitigated to some degree.

--rlparker
--DreamHost Tech Support

I, personally, am a long time dreamhost customer, which is why this is so upsetting to have recommended dreamhost to my friend, only to end up with such a foo outcome.

You can't keep saying "oops, our bad, that email was a mistake"; "our website has a mistake"; "the think you thought you were getting when you PAID for your domain is not included because we bundled it with free stuff in beta"; "you need to pay more to get the services you expect". Put it all together and what you are doing is BAIT AND SWITCH.

I am not going to have him setup DNS with a different provider and have part of his DNS services with Dreamhost and part with a different provider. What a foo THAT would be to maintain! What he needs is:

A) Provide the CNAME entries he needs now, so his domain works. He's been trying to get this done for over a week.

B) Make sure he has access to unlock and get auth code so he can move his domain to a registrar who doesn't play bait-and-switch and refuse to provide support for a PAID service.

The registrar he's going to move to is also less expensive than Dreamhost and includes all the services he needs, expected, and you advertise on the website as included for "all customers". Instead of this beta being a cool way for him to get "free stuff" and become a dreamhost customer, what you did (due to the insane problems we have had with getting support for the domain name) was drive him into the arms of a competitor. Great move, guys.

I guess one of the reasons I just don't get the whole "bait and switch" allegation here is precisely because you are a "longtime dreamhost customer".

You have never been able to manage DNS from the registration sections of the account control panel .. this is a *hosting* function at DreamHost and your earlier stated belief that you should be able to change DNS settings for registrations via that URL is just puzzling.

As for the "mistakes", and "bait and switch", let me be clear here. Your inability to understand the service to which you or your friend subscribed is not an indication of a "bait and switch" tactic on our part. You appear to have completely ignored my having pointed out that you took the "We allow all of our customers full control over their entire DNS settings via an area of our web panel" statement from the "Hosting Features" section of the website, not the "Domain" section - you didn't buy "hosting", you registered a domain.

Even if you missed that distinction, had you clicked the link to our wiki on the page immediately above that statement, you would have been seen additional information including the the wiki article for "Custom DNS", which clearly states "You must have and keep an active web hosting plan with DreamHost to be able to use the DNS hosting service. "

I get it. You didn't understand that registering a domain with DreamHost doesn't allow you to customize DNS settings other than to specify a nameserver. That's unfortunate, but it is not a "bait and switch".

Of course we will facilitate him getting his unlock codes so he can transfer the domain. It's a shame this experience and your belief that the problem is somehow malevolent by design, drives him in to arms of a competitor, but I understand.

--rlparker
--DreamHost Tech Support

The email has been corrected to reflect the correct link to the right panel. However your friend will need to purchase a hosting plan to add CNAME records.

He can also see his auth code, modify whois/nameserver info under the domain listing, click the domain, click the edit registration tab and that's it.

Make sure you're doing this at the correct panel:

https://panel.dreamhostapps.com/manage

"what you did...was drive him into the arms of a competitor."

It's all so melodramatic!

Just tell your friend 'sorry' and console yourself with some chocolate.

How To Install PHP.INI / ionCube on DreamHost

I was about to file a bug because listing my domain here in Dreamhost Apps prevents my transferring the registration from another registrar because it's 'already in our system'. Then I saw this report, and your response.

Changing the identity of the nameservers is a basic registrar function of every domain hosting place I have ever worked with, no hosting required. It's disingenuous of DreamHost policy-makers and support staff to say that we should have figured this out about you from the fine print. I won't be switching unless this policy changes.

The preceeding posts indicate that the OP's issue was due to the BETA nature of the service and that the problem was being addressed by the developers. Your issue is something else entirely (Domain name 'already in our system') and it would help if you created a new thread indicating this.

proactive > reactive wink

How To Install PHP.INI / ionCube on DreamHost

In reply to:
I was about to file a bug because listing my domain here in Dreamhost Apps prevents my transferring the registration from another registrar because it's 'already in our system'.

I'm sorry, but I am confused here. To where are you trying to transfer your domain that you encountered this issue? That message sounds a lot like you were trying to transfer the hosting to DreamHost (possibly in conjunction with a registration transfer) but ran into a problem as a result of your domain being "in our system" . If so, this could be because of using the domain name at DreamHost Apps has it already in our in our nameservers, but I really don't know from the information in your post. Any further detail about what you were trying to do and the error message you received, and with what domain, would help me understand what happened here.

In reply to:
Then I saw this report, and your response.

My response, and this thread, is about an entirely different issue, but I can understand your confusion. This thread was about the ability to access, and change, *all* your DNS records (CNAME, MX, etc.), not your nameservers. The ability to customize your DNS records is limited at DreamHost to customers with hosting plans, and is a different issue altogether than any thing to do with setting your nameservers (which you can do with any domain registered at DreamHost), and entirely unrelated to any situation where "listing" your domain in DreamHost Apps prevents a transfer of registration (though it could interfere with adding the domain to another DreamHost hosting plan, as mentioned above).

In reply to:
Changing the identity of the nameservers is a basic registrar function of every domain hosting place I have ever worked with, no hosting required.

That has also been my experience, and it is the same way here. You need hosting here to customize your DNS records, not to change your nameservers. Namerservers are not part of your DNS records, but are part of your domain's whois records, and you *do* have access to those (and to change your nameservers) via DreamHost Apps.

In reply to:
It's disingenuous of DreamHost policy-makers and support staff to say that we should have figured this out about you from the fine print. I won't be switching unless this policy changes.

There is nothing disingenuous here at all - we simply don't provide the ability to customize DNS records except for those with hosting plans - and my previous discussion about *that* should have made it clear that the original poster simply misunderstood that, probably from taking the description of a *hosting* service feature out of context and applying it to a registration feature - and there is no "fine print" involved here at all. What may be involved here is ignorance about what records go where - setting nameservers is done with the registrar, creating or customizing DNS recored is done with the DNS provider, which can be the host, a registrar, or a third party DNS provider. They are entirely different things. wink

All that said, what policy are you unhappy about an would like to see changed? I'm asking because I genuinely want to know what your issue is here, and I cannot discern it from your post.

--rlparker
--DreamHost Tech Support

In reply to:
Changing the identity of the nameservers is a basic registrar function of every domain hosting place I have ever worked with, no hosting required.

DreamHost does allow you to change the nameservers without requiring hosting services.

In reply to:
I won't be switching unless this policy changes.

You seem confused. The original poster was upset that DreamHost doesn't include DNS hosting with domain registration. These are two different services and while some registrars include DNS hosting, there is no requirement to do so and DreamHost isn't the only one who doesn't.

A registrar can certainly indicate in the registration the computers providing the DNS hosting (the nameservers). DreamHost certainly allows you to do so for the domains it registers for you.

However again the next step is the nameservers. These are the computers that actually send out the records like A, CNAME etc. This is a separate servce called DNS hosting.

The DreamHost web site doesn't say anything that would imply DNS hosting is available without a Web hosting plan. From my experience people get ahead of themselves sometimes and forget to review their requirments before taking action and that certainly sounds like the case here. Since there is no published offer of DNS hosting someone could always ask if it is available or not. This happens for other services all the time such as ASP.NET/Mono for example.

Are you asking that DreamHost post a long list of things they don't offer as well as the ones that they do? Is it too much to ask people to inquire or educate themselves instead of assuming? Or were you trying to say you are looking for a domain registrar that also offers DNS hosting included? I don't think you clearly stated what changes you expect DreamHost to make.

cool openvein.org -//-

Unable to manage domain name settings