DNS issues. Loads by IP not Name.

Question

My Lightsail instance has a DNS zone and a Registered Domain.  When I ping the DNS name I see the correct IP4 address. However, when using the DNS name in a Browser nothing loads. Using the IP the site loads fine. I've checked all the DNS records they look fine to me. I'm not sure where to look next to fix the issue.

Garre Sandeep · Accepted Answer

Hi tech1

Check your DNS records (A and CNAME) to ensure they are correct and fully propagated. Verify that your web server is properly configured for the domain (virtual hosts, SSL, etc.). Ensure that Lightsail security groups allow HTTP/HTTPS traffic and check for any SSL certificate issues. Clear your browser and DNS cache, and review web server logs for any errors.

re:Post Agent · Answer

It sounds like you're experiencing a DNS-related issue with your Lightsail instance. While the DNS resolution appears to be working correctly (as evidenced by the ping results), there might be a problem with how your web server is configured to handle incoming requests. Here are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:

1. Double-check your DNS records: Ensure that the A record in your Lightsail DNS zone is correctly pointing to your instance's IP address. Also, verify that there are no conflicting CNAME records for the same domain.

2. Verify name server configuration: Make sure that your domain's name servers are correctly set to use Lightsail's DNS. You may need to update the name servers at your domain registrar to point to Lightsail's name servers.

3. Allow time for propagation: DNS changes can take several hours to propagate across the internet. If you've recently made changes, wait for a few hours and try again.

4. Check your web server configuration: Ensure that your web server (e.g., Apache or Nginx) is configured to respond to requests for your domain name. Check the virtual host configuration to make sure it's set up correctly for your domain.

5. Review security groups and firewall settings: Verify that your Lightsail instance's firewall settings allow incoming traffic on port 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS) if you're using SSL.

6. Examine server logs: Check your web server's error logs for any issues that might prevent it from responding to requests using the domain name.

7. Test with different browsers and devices: Try accessing your site using different browsers and devices to rule out any client-side caching issues.

If you've gone through these steps and are still experiencing issues, you may want to contact Lightsail support for further assistance. They can help you identify any potential configuration problems or DNS-related issues that might be causing the problem.  
**Sources**  
[Create a DNS zone to manage domain records for Lightsail instances - Amazon Lightsail](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/lightsail-how-to-create-dns-entry.html)  
[Edit a Lightsail DNS zone - Amazon Lightsail](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/amazon-lightsail-edit-or-delete-a-dns-zone.html)  
[Understanding DNS in Lightsail - Amazon Lightsail](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/understanding-dns-in-amazon-lightsail.html)

Tech1 · Answer

It was missing the www cname record.

DNS issues. Loads by IP not Name.

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