New Website, Who Dis?

· By Snow

Welcome to Polar! This is absolutely my experimental zone for random things I find interesting. Actually more like a guide for myself in case I need it in the future :)

1. Get a website domain

Do note that 1st year prices are likely promotional, and subsequent annual renewal fees will be much higher.

2. Add Your Site to Cloudflare

  1. Log in to your Cloudflare Dashboard.
  2. Click Add a site in the top right.
  3. Enter your apex domain (e.g. 909090909.xyz) and select the Free tier plan.

3. Update Your Registrar Nameservers

Cloudflare will scan your existing DNS records and provide you with two assigned nameservers, such as:

Head over to where you purchased your domain:

  1. Find the Custom DNS / Nameservers settings.
  2. Replace the default registrar nameservers with the Cloudflare nameservers provided.
  3. Save changes. (Propagation takes some time, and you might have to try accessing it on other networks due to DNS caching).

Tip: If the domain is taking too long to load:

  • Test on mobile data (4G/5G): Your phone carrier usually refreshes DNS much faster than home Wi-Fi.
  • Flush your local DNS cache: On Mac, run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder in Terminal. On Windows, run ipconfig /flushdns.
  • Check global status: Use a site like whatsmydns.net to see if your records have propagated globally.

4. Connect via Cloudflare Tunnel (cloudflared)

Instead of opening router ports or exposing a public home IP with standard A records, I used a Cloudflare Tunnel:

  1. Install cloudflared on the server or run it as a Docker container.
  2. In Cloudflare Zero Trust → Networks → Tunnels, create a new tunnel.
  3. Add a Public Hostname:
    • Domain: 909090909.xyz
    • Type: HTTP
    • URL: localhost:8080 (or the internal Docker container port).
  4. Cloudflare automatically handles the internal DNS routing for you (creating a secure CNAME pointing to <tunnel-id>.cfargotunnel.com). Zero router port forwarding needed!

Why Cloudflare Tunnel? Your real home IP address stays 100% private, you don't need a static IP, and you never have to touch your home router's firewall.

Conclusion

Once the nameservers have propagated and your tunnel is active, your website is live worldwide at 909090909.xyz, complete with Cloudflare's standard protection!