Email Domain Migration

[gilded scarab]

Hi All,
I have an email service with IONOS. IONOS hosts my domain and emails. I am happy with IONOS, like their tech support, but their spam filtering is crap, and the CalDAV calendar is non-existing. How would I be able to move my emails to Fastmail but keep the domain with IONOS?

[tulip dome]

By "keep the domain with IONOS" I'm assuming you mean keep your domain registered with IONOS (i.e., yearly payment), not continuing to use IONOS for email.

Fastmail has two methods of setting up a custom domain.

• The first option is to use Fastmail's nameservers on your domain. This will allow them to set up all the proper email records for you. https://www.fastmail.help/hc/en-us/articles/1500000278002

• The second option is to stick with IONOS' nameservers and add the appropriate DNS records yourself. If you're unfamilar with DNS, it'll be a bit more difficult than the first option but still fairly easy (it mainly involves copy paste). https://www.fastmail.help/hc/en-us/articles/1500000280261

No matter which option you chose, your domain will still be registered with IONOS. However, if you chose the first and simpler option, your domain's DNS records will be managed through Fastmail's interface going forward instead of IONOS'.

If you only use your domain for email, I'd go with the first option. Otherwise, I'd probably go with the second option — following Fastmail's guide should take no more than 10 minutes.

And once it's done, you just have to ensure you have the same addresses in Fastmail as you do currently with IONOS (e.g, [e-mail]) so you can continue receiving mail. Also you'll probably want to export your emails from IONOS and import them into Fastmail. https://www.fastmail.help/hc/en-us/articles/360058753594-Import-your-mail

As you go through the guide, feel free to reply or DM with any questions and I'll be glad to help.

[gilded scarab]

I only use my domain for emails.

[tulip dome]

You can just go ahead and switch to Fastmail's nameservers then. This will be a quick process and it'll allow Fastmail to manage everything for you to ensure there's no configured errors.

This guide should take you all the way there: https://www.fastmail.help/hc/en-us/articles/1500000278002

But I'll summarize:

• Firstly, add your custom domain to Fastmail. This can be found in Settings > Domains

• Secondly, go to DNS nameserver settings for your domain in IONOS. You'll need to replace the default nameservers with ns1.messagingengine.com and ns2.messagingengine.com. IONOS has a guide on this: https://www.ionos.com/help/domains/using-your-own-name-servers/using-your-own-name-servers-for-a-domain/ It may take up to 24 hours for the nameserver change to propagate, but it is usually much quicker only taking a few minutes.

• Lastly, once the nameservers have changed, you can go ahead and add your desired email addresses in Fastmail under Settings > My email addresses.

[gilded scarab]

I am going to check my contract to see if I can cancel the email part, but keep the domain...

[tulip dome]

In all honestly, I would consider transfering the domain away from IONOS — there are much better registrars. Not sure if you care or have time to do that though.

Anyways, after you confirm that you can cancel the email service, I would set it up with Fastmail before cancelling that way you can easily import your old emails. https://www.fastmail.help/hc/en-us/articles/360058753594

[gilded scarab]

IONOS has been pretty good. So far.

[tulip dome]

Fair enough

[gilded scarab]

So what do I need to do on the IONOS end?

[tulip dome]

You need to change your domain's nameservers to Fastmail's https://www.ionos.com/help/domains/using-your-own-name-servers/using-your-own-name-servers-for-a-domain/

[gilded scarab]

So replace the 2 MX IONOS lines with the Fastmail settings?

[tulip dome]

No the MX and other records will be invalidated once you switch to Fastmail's nameservers.

In the article I linked IONOS has a link to where to change nameservers

[limber mantle]

you can just change the MX records and keep all your other records the same. you don't need to change the name servers or anything like that.

[gilded scarab]

So change the MX records to the ones listed in this URL: https://www.fastmail.help/hc/en-us/articles/1500000278062. Nothing else?

[gilded scarab]

Name servers?

[tulip dome]

You said you only use your domain for email, thus it's easier to only change the name servers that way Fastmail can automatically add their own MX and other records.

Your current name servers are:
ns1024.ui-dns.biz
ns1049.ui-dns.com
ns1098.ui-dns.org
ns1109.ui-dns.de
Which are the IONOS default.

Delete those and replace them with ns1.messagingengine.com and ns2.messagingengine.com

[tulip dome]

It should not be hard to follow the instructions I laid out in this previous message

[gilded scarab]

So replace, mx00.ionos.com and mx01.ionos.com with the Fastmail ones?

[tulip dome]

No, those are MX records not nameservers.

It's right here in your own screenshot

[gilded scarab]

So I need to go to Name Server?

[gilded scarab]

Hi All,
I think I have moved my records to Fastmail, but can not add emails to IMAP email client.