Keep server anonymous behind cloudflare?

maestroc

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2012
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cPanel Access Level
Reseller Owner
I am setting up a new server that will use Cloudflare for DNS and DDOS protection. We want it to be as "anonymous" as possible so that the IP address of the server will never be visible in any way. We are going to use a third party SMTP server for that part of things so that mail will not be sent out from the server itself.

My question is, are there any special steps I will need to make to the server during this setup phase to keep it from revealing its IP address or primary domain name?
 

GOT

Get Proactive!
PartnerNOC
Apr 8, 2003
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363
Chesapeake, VA
cPanel Access Level
DataCenter Provider
As long as NONE of your dns records ever point to you server ip you should be fine. However you should close your ports 80 and 443 in the firewall and whitelist the CF ip ranges.

Not even ftp dns, cpanel etc should point directly to your server.
 

cPanelLauren

Product Owner II
Staff member
Nov 14, 2017
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Houston
The advice provided by @GOT is correct, the only thing I will add is that if you secure the hostname which would include WHM/cPanel you need to keep in mind that you and your users would most likely HAVE to access WHM/cPanel using the IP address as the proxying of the IP causes some issues with WHM/cPanel's ability to load