When you connect a domain to hosting you have two options: change the domain's nameservers or change individual DNS records. They work at different levels, and choosing the wrong one is the most common reason email or a website stops working after a move.
In short
- Nameservers are set at the registrar. They say which DNS servers are in charge of the domain.
- DNS records (A, MX, TXT …) live on those nameservers and give the actual addresses.
- Changing nameservers moves the whole zone; editing a record changes one answer.
An analogy
Think of nameservers as the phone book company you choose, and DNS records as the entries in that book. Switching phone book companies means every entry must exist in the new book, otherwise those numbers disappear.
Option 1: change nameservers
You point the domain to the host's nameservers (for MdmHost, the ones in your welcome email) and from then on manage every record in cPanel.
- Good when the host will run website and email, or you want one place to manage DNS.
- Watch out: records at the old DNS provider stop being used. Recreate any external ones, such as Microsoft 365 MX or a verification TXT, in cPanel first.
- How to: change nameservers at your registrar.
Option 2: change only some records
You keep DNS where it is (for example at your registrar or Cloudflare) and change the A record for @ and www to your MdmHost server IP.
- Good when email or other services stay elsewhere, or you use a DNS provider for its features.
- Watch out: records you add in cPanel are ignored, because cPanel is not authoritative. AutoSSL still works as long as the A records point to the server.
How to tell which one you use
Look up the domain with the WHOIS checker. The listed nameservers are the ones in charge; that is where records must be edited.