active24 have messed my DNS and support don't answer. HELP!

digitaltoast · 15th October 2007

I think my webhost, active24, may have gone down, or about to go bust or something, I don't know. But our domain is stuck there, it doesn't work properly, we can't change it (most times it says the DNS server cannot be updated - see below) and there is no-where to change nameservers to point to hosting that works.
The DNS data is corrupt anyway:
http://www.demon.net/cgi-bin/dig?www...services.co.uk
They don't respond to any emails, and although their telephone support says they are open from 9pm to 4pm (the voice sounds like NZ, so I guess those overnight times mean the call is answered downunder!) but the message is always the same.

It's not possible to use their online support service
http://www.active24.co.uk/sw3513.asp - as clicking "next" either reaches a 404 page, or a meaningless page which asks "enter a word" and then takes me back and it starts all over again!

Try searching help for the word "subdomain" on support:
http://www.active24.co.uk/sw1803.asp
The first link and second links are in Norwegian, and the links on those pages are all 404s.
The third results takes me to "ADODB.Recordset error '800a0cc1'"
On the fourth result, must links are broken, but I can get to this page:
http://support.activeisp.co.uk/suppo...iondomain1.htm
However, it tells me they won't change DNS for .uk domains, so I'm stuffed anyway, and besides, they want me to post it.

But the MAIN problem is as I described it in my support query to them. I've copied it below - I'd really appreciate any help. At least to get the wildcard going so I can use subdomains!
The following is what I emailed - as I've not had any reply to questions from four months ago, I think I can assume you good people are my only hope!
------------------------------------------------------------
Hi, we are having problems with the domain www.solarpoweredservices.co.uk
Some of the records seem incorrect, also whenever I tried to query more info about the domain, various services told me that this was a "badly administered domain" because there was no "SOA record".
For example: http://www.demon.net/cgi-bin/dig?www...services.co.uk
Our blog at energy.solarpoweredservices.co.uk and any other subdomain is not working. I have now attempted to correct this - see below.
However, the .htaccess subdomain method you pointed me to in an earlier reply only results in 500 internal server error, whichever method I try.

Also, here are the details for the domain as of 14/oct/07 @ 13:15 BST

Host Type MX Prio Destination
@ MX 20 avs02.activeisp.com. Edit Delete
@ MX 20 avs01.activeisp.com. Edit Delete
@ MX 10 avsgw.activeisp.com. Edit Delete
photos A 213.188.129.160 Edit Delete
@ A 217.22.64.55 Edit Delete
stats.www CNAME stats01.newweb.active24.com. Edit Delete
stats CNAME stats01.newweb.active24.com. Edit Delete
ftp CNAME ftp.newweb.active24.com. Edit Delete
www CNAME web.newweb.active24.com. Edit Delete

The wilcard record for solarpoweredservices.co.uk was pointing to something which never connected. I have corrected this from above by changing

FROM
@ A 217.22.64.55
TO
@ A 213.188.130.110

solarpoweredservices.co.uk now works, but I need to be able to create the subdirectory survey.solarpoweredservices.co.uk and get the blog to be the correct pointer, and not the active24blog domain

Sometimes, when I try and make a change, it says

"The DNS servers are not able to accept any connections. Please try again later"

Also, http://stats.www.solarpoweredservices.co.uk/ doesn't work. Looks like the whole record is messed up - can it be corrected?

I went to the UK support site and tried typing in "subdomain" in the search, and got the following page:

It starts

ndring av A-record og CNAME (domenepeking).
Hva er dette og hvorfor endre?

etc etc, in Norwegian! This is not very helpful.

JamieBeeston · 15th October 2007

You can always move your domain away, if you have access to your Domain control panel, simply change the IPS TAG to a new host..

If you dont, you can have nominet do it for you, so long as you can provide you're the listed Owner.

http://www.nic.uk/registrants/maintain/changeregistrar/

othellotech · 16th October 2007

Quote:

The first link and second links are in Norwegian,

Not suprising as Active24/ActiveISP are a Norwegian company, owned by the Mamut muppets.

Sounds to me like you want to move the domain to someone who understands DNS, or provides you with working tools to manage it yourself.

digitaltoast · 18th October 2007

I finally got some result, after making it clear that I was going to remain on hold to their freephone number until they changed the DNS, they finally changed it! Ridiculous that a company are SO bad they'd rather lose a customer than fix a simple problem - and they never, ever called me back, any of the 6 times they promised they would. I notice they still quote that they are #1 on a certain web hosting directory, even though they are no-where to be found on said directory!