View source for Foundations/Identity and DNS

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Foundations: Identity and DNS}}

== Overview ==

This section covers the first step in using 44Net: establishing a verified identity and creating your first public hostname.

By the end, you will have:

* A verified callsign in the Portal
* Your own DNS subdomain at ampr.org
* At least one hostname that resolves

These pieces form the foundation for everything that follows.

== Before you Start ==

You will need:

* An amateur radio operator’s license valid in your region
* An email address you can access
* A computer with a web browser

== Part 1: Sign Up, Get Verified ==

44Net resources are assigned to licensed amateur radio operators. Verification of your license helps build trust among the community and maintain 44Net as a resource for hams.

=== Step 1: Create an Account ===
Begin by creating an account on the [https://portal.ampr.org AMPRNet Portal]. This is your gateway to managing your 44Net resources. 

<div style="clear:both;">[[File:Registration_Step_2.png|450px|Follow the steps to fill in your basic profile information.]]</div>

=== Step 2: Confirm Your Email ===
After registering, check your email inbox for a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to verify your address. This step ensures your account is active and ready to use.

[[File:Registration_Email_Confirmation.png|450px|Check your inbox for an email prompting you to confirm your email address.]]

=== Step 3: Log In and Complete your Profile ===
Once your email is confirmed, log in to the portal and complete your profile, including your grid square location.

[[File:Registration_Complete_Profile.png|450px|When you confirm your email address, you will see a form for completing your profile, including your grid square location.]]

=== Step 4: Submit Your Callsign for Verification ===
Submit your callsign for verification. Be sure to include a copy of your amateur radio license, if available. This helps the administrators verify your identity and approve your account more quickly. The verification team volunteer who takes your ticket may ask for further information. The purpose is not to interrogate you, but to help avoid someone impersonating you for access to your privileges.

For more details, see the [[Verification]] page.

Once your callsign is verified, it will appear under Account → Call signs with the date of verifcation and expiration.

[[File:Account_Callsign_Menu.png|450px]]

== Part 2: Explore the Portal ==

You do not need to configure anything yet. This is orientation. 

Most 44Net services are managed through the Portal, including:

* DNS
* Subnets
* Organizations

Familiarize yourself with:

* The navigation menus
* Your profile
* The Portal’s built-in Help

== Part 3: Claim your Subdomain ==

Each user is eligible for a subdomain under ampr.org for each verified callsign.

For example, my callsign is KI5QKX. My ampr.org subdoman is ki5qkx.ampr.org.

To claim your subdomain:

# In the Portal, click DNS → My Subdomains
# Click the “Request a Subdomain” button
# For the Domain, choose ‘ampr.org’
# For the Subdomain, enter your callsign.
# Click the “Create Request” button.

If your requested subdomain matches your verified callsign, your subnet is approved automatically. If not, a ticket is created that will be reviewed by staff for approval.

Once approved, your subdomain appears under DNS → My Subdomains, and you control all DNS records under your subdoman.

== Part 4: Create your First Record ==

Now you will create a DNS record that points somewhere. 

=== Step 1: Choose a Target ===

You will need an IP address to point at, but you haven’t requested a 44Net IP address yet. That’s okay — for validation of this step, you can use 44.1.2.66, the IP address of the Wiki server. Any other reachable IP address is fine, too.

=== Step 2: Add a Record ===

# In the Portal, click DNS → My Subdomains.
# Next to your approved subdomain, click the Double-diamond icon in the Actions column.
# Click the “Add a Resource Record” button.
# Click the “Select a Domain Type” menu, select ‘A’, and click the “Next” button.
# In the “Hostname” field, enter “hello-world” — note that you enter only the first part of the hostname. The subdomain will be added automatically in the next step.
# In the “TTL” field, enter “300” — 300 seconds is five minutes. For testing, this is sufficient.
# In the “IPv4 Address” field, enter your target IP address. For example, “44.1.2.66”
# Make sure the “Active” checkbox is checked.
# Click the “Create” button.

[[File:New_DNS_Record|450px]]

When the record is created, it should appear in the next screen.

Now, we must wait. DNS records are currently pushed from the Portal to the DNS server at the top of every hour. 

== Part 5: Verify Resolution ==

After the clock ticks past the top of the next hour, your record should be visible publicly. 

You can check this in a web browser using Google’s DNS lookup tool:

[https://toolbox.googleapps.com/apps/dig/]

# Enter ‘helloworld.<your callsign>.ampr.org’ in the box that says “Name” (be sure to replace <your callsign> with your subdomain callsign).
# Click the “A” button.

You should see a result appear showing your target IP address, similar to this:

[[File:DNS_Test_Result_Example|450px]]

=== Using the Command Line (optional) ===

If you are comfortable on the command line, you can also test with `dig` or `nslookup` in a Terminal:

<pre>
 ~ % dig helloworld.<your callsign>.ampr.org

; <<>> DiG 9.10.6 <<>> wiki.ampr.org
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 37316
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 1232
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;helloworld.<callsign>.ampr.org.  IN  A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
helloworld.<callsign>.ampr.org.  69 IN  A  44.1.2.66

;; Query time: 1 msec
;; SERVER: 10.9.200.70#53(10.9.200.70)
;; WHEN: Wed Feb 04 23:28:58 CST 2026
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 58

</pre>

If you see “44.1.2.66” (or your chosen target IP), success!

== Troubleshooting ==

If you do not get a result, there are a few things to check.

* Has it been an hour since you created the record? There is a delay before the Portal and the DNS servers update records.
* Check for typos in the record and in your tests: helloworld.<callsign>.ampr.org
* Did you create the right type of record? It should be type “A”.

''Tip:'' Do not proceed until this works. DNS problems are famous for being at the root of other problems. DNS is one of the first things to troubleshoot when other problems arise.

== What You Have Enabled ==

With a working subdomain and resource record, you can now:

* Assign names to tunnel endpoints
* Access your services by name
* Publish public services accessible from the Internet
* Publish other types of record, including IPv6 (AAAA), mail server (MX), and more.

== Next Step ==

Most users next bring up ther first connected device with 44Net Connect.

[[Foundations/Connect|Continue to Foundations: Connect]]

== Learning Path ==

⬅️ [[Foundations|Overview]] | [[Foundations/Identity_and_DNS|Identity and DNS]] (you are here) | [[Foundations/Connect|Connect]] ➡️