wiki/clients/current/adava-care/2026-02-04-dns-migration-backend-access.md · 663 words · 2026-02-04

DNS Migration & Backend Access Issue (2026-02-04)

Overview

During a mid-week internal call on 2026-02-04, Mark and Melissa discovered that Adovacare had moved their DNS name servers to a new provider without coordinating with Asymmetric. The domain now resolves to a Google-hosted IP address rather than the WP Engine server Asymmetric manages. The client appears to have believed the migration would be seamless and that Asymmetric would retain full access — this was not the case.

Mark suspects the client may be in the process of leaving, though the client's stated position is that they still want Asymmetric to host and manage the site.

What Happened

Adovacare (likely via a third party) changed their DNS name servers away from Cloudflare to a new DNS provider.
That new DNS provider points the domain to a Google IP address — not Asymmetric's WP Engine infrastructure.
The original site built by Asymmetric still exists on the WP Engine server, but traffic no longer routes to it.
The client's live site now runs different plugins (e.g., free speed/security plugins replacing WP Rocket and Asymmetric's paid stack).
A staging site remains intact on Asymmetric's infrastructure but is likely out of date with production.

Impact: Lost Backend Capabilities

Without backend access through the Asymmetric-managed server, the following capabilities are unavailable:

Capability	Details
Automated monthly SEO audits	Mark runs a backend script on the 1st of each month across all managed sites — cleans dirty data rows (e.g., 18k rows), fixes orphaned metadata, updates missing meta descriptions (e.g., 39→53 out of 54 pages), reduces database size, and resolves Cloudflare security misconfigurations. Adovacare will no longer receive this.
Custom plugin development	Backend PHP access is required to write and deploy custom plugins. Example: a WooCommerce/ShipStation fix for Doodla B2B required a custom plugin written directly on the server. This is not possible on a third-party server.
DNS record management	Asymmetric can no longer add or modify DNS records (e.g., for new service integrations, email verification, etc.).
PHP/database access	No access to phpMyAdmin or MCP server tooling on the Google-hosted server.

"Anything I do now to try to log in and do any back end work, I can't do it. I can't get into PHP My Admin either. I can't log into the back end of this with my MCP servers or anything." — Mark Hope

Note: WordPress admin login (front-end CMS access) is still available via saved credentials. This allows content editing but not infrastructure-level work.

Resolution Path

The fix is straightforward on the client's end:

Client points their domain back to Cloudflare as the DNS provider.
Cloudflare DNS records (already configured) continue pointing to WP Engine.
Asymmetric regains full backend access.
The client can retain control of their DNS records within Cloudflare if desired — Asymmetric manages other clients (e.g., Tracti) where the client holds DNS control. This is not a blocker.

"If all he wanted was control of his DNS, I could have given him that easily." — Mark Hope

Action Items

[ ] Mark — Contact Adovacare (Sebastian) to explain the technical impact of the DNS migration and provide clear instructions for pointing the domain back to Cloudflare. Emphasize that the client can retain DNS control while restoring backend access.

Client Relationship Notes

Melissa noted the client seemed unaware of the consequences of the migration ("he truly thought it would be seamless").
The client has restored Meta and Google Ads access to Asymmetric.
Active content work is in progress: a batch of ~6 blog posts and location page updates (pricing copy) are pending.
Mark's read: client may be on their way out. No non-compete is in place (only an NDA with a former contractor); the client is free to move to another provider.

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