Parking or URL redirects and DNS (A or CNAME) records serve similar purposes, but operate differently.
Parking or URL redirects are used for web pages.
explanation:
When a visitor arrives at xxxx.com, the domain server receives the request and sends the browser an HTTP response (code 301 or 302) telling it: “The content of this page has moved to https://another-web.com:XXXX.”
CNAME records:
These records (xxxx.com and www.xxxx.com pointing to another-domain.com) are the correct and standard form.
They work at a more fundamental level than redirection. They tell the entire internet’s Domain Name System (DNS): “The name xxxx.com is an alias for another-domain.com.”
Therefore, when a browser searches for xxxx.com, the DNS system directly returns the IP address of another-domain.com, without having to go through an additional redirect server. It’s more direct and efficient.
A Record: Tells the system that a domain name (e.g., xxxx.com) points directly to a specific IP address. It’s like giving it the exact address of a house (e.g., 200.99.111.333).
an A RECORD points to an IP, numbers
CNAME record: This tells the system that a domain name is an “alias” or nickname for another domain name. It’s like saying, “To get to xxxx.com, go to another-domain.com.” The system then has to look up the IP address of another-domain.com.
a CNAME RECORD points to an alphanumeric or dynamic DNS hostname
A and CNAME are not the same thing and should not be used together for the same domain name.
A root domain (xxxx.com) cannot have both an A record and a CNAME record at the same time.
Subdomains e.g. “a.b.com” are created using CNAME and point to another-domain.com
The A record points to a static IP address (200.99.111.333), while the CNAME points to a hostname with keywords or dynamic DNS (another-domain.com).
To connect via SSH, you need your domain to point to an IP address. The best and most efficient way to do this, especially with a dynamic IP address, is through a CNAME record pointing to a dynamic DNS service.
“Web redirection” is a term used for web page traffic (ports 80 and 443). SSH is not a “web redirection.”
For use with SSH, the CNAME is the correct record and you should remove the A record to avoid the conflict.
For a domain, you may have an A-RECORD by default and cannot delete it. You must create a subdomain.