Reverse DNS (rDNS) maps an IP address back to a hostname via a PTR record. This is the opposite of a standard DNS lookup — instead of resolving a hostname to an IP, it resolves an IP to a hostname.
Why Reverse DNS Matters
Email delivery — Mail servers commonly verify that a sending server’s IP has a valid PTR record matching its hostname. Without rDNS, outbound email is significantly more likely to be rejected or marked as spam.
Server identification — Network diagnostic tools such as traceroute display PTR records rather than raw IP addresses, making your server identifiable.
Setting Up Reverse DNS
rDNS is configured directly from the VirtFusion panel.
Select Your VPS
Choose your server from the VirtFusion dashboard.
Go to Network Settings
Navigate to the network or IP management section of your server.
Set the PTR Record
Enter the hostname you want the IP to resolve to (e.g. mail.example.com) and save.
Before setting a PTR record, ensure the forward DNS is already configured. The hostname you use for rDNS should have an A record (IPv4) or AAAA record (IPv6) pointing back to the same IP address. Forward and reverse DNS should match.
Verifying Reverse DNS
After saving, verify the PTR record is resolving correctly:
DNS propagation is typically fast for PTR records but can take up to 24 hours in some cases.
Forward and Reverse Alignment
For best results — especially for mail servers — forward and reverse DNS should form a consistent loop:
Forward: mail.example.com → A record → 203.0.113.10
Reverse: 203.0.113.10 → PTR record → mail.example.com
