Pointing from domain registrar to host: Name Servers vs A Records

Question

What are the performance or any other considerations involved when deciding whether to use Name Servers or A Records when pointing your domain registrar to your website host?

My case:

I have a domain registered with Network Solutions, email with Network solutions, and a website hosted on GoDaddy.

My thought here is that I point the A Record to GoDaddy, because it's my only option without breaking email. However, if I were not using any Network Solutions services, would it be better just to point the name servers to GoDaddy?

Answer 1

I think you've got some of the terminology a little confused but not to worry.

What you mean is:

Should I use Network Solutions (my registrar's) nameservers and point my A Record to godaddy's webserver IP?

OR

Should I change the Nameserver setting on Network Solutions to point to Godaddy's nameservers and have Godaddy's nameservers point to Godaddys webserver IP?

The answer is to use whichever DNS system you find easiest to setup/maintain and and secure to run. I should think both Network Solution and Godaddy run good quality nameservers with good uptime. So we are left only with which is easier to setup.

Changing the A record on Network Solutions nameserver is probably the simplest to setup as it will preserve other settings such as, as you mention, email.

The more complex setup would be to change you name to use godaddy's nameservers as you would have to then edit Godaddy's nameserver's MX record to point back network solutions.

Neither would be difficult but the first one is one step shorter than the last one.