Note: This is a seriously techy article – but very useful to those that need this type of information.

Question: What is a federated identity?

Answer: Wikipedia describes it as “the process of a user’s authentication across multiple IT systems or even organizations.”

The layman’s answer: It’s the thing that allows you to use your domain e-mail login with a chat service (Google Talk or Windows Live Messenger depending on what service you have.)

If you use Google Apps or Windows Live Domains, you’ve probably gotten everything to work except the fact you can’t chat – but you really want to.

The problem is that your host provider doesn’t allow it.

Why is this?

It’s a technical limitation due to the fact the host provider doesn’t allow customers to manually edit SRV records.

Control panel software (like H-Sphere) hasn’t progressed to the point where SRV record editing is the norm. More often than not you’ll see it as a “feature request” in the forums for that particular software.

Is there anything you can do NOW to get chat with Google Talk or Windows Live Messenger working?

Absolutely. Use an alternate DNS provider that does have SRV record editing ability.

In my recent switch to Windows Live Domains I really wanted to get the chat working with the messenger software. After scouring ’round the internet, I found that by using an alternate DNS provide you can do the following:

1. Keep your existing web host provider. No need to switch.
2. Get more control over everything. “A” records, “CNAME”, “SRV”, “MX”, “AAAA” and more. You’ll get control over stuff you probably didn’t have prior with your DNS.
3. Do the above for free.

The DNS provider I use is EditDNS.

If you use Google Apps, you’re in luck because these guys have some auto-configure options that will completely set up everything for Google Apps automatically. The MX servers, CNAME and of course the all-important SRV for Google Talk ability.

If you use Windows Live Domains there is no automatic option, however it’s relatively easy to do.

This is what EditDNS looks like in the admin interface:

(Note: I’m using my personal domain as an example.)

As you can see, all the bases are covered. The As, CNAMEs, MX, NS (name servers), the TXT for SPF and the SRV.

Once finished, you login to your registrar, switch over the DNS servers and 12 to 48 hours later, ta-da.. you’re off to the races.

Yes, I’ve done this myself. It does work and works well.

Special note for Google Apps users: Google uses A TON of servers. To use their e-mail service for your domain requires 7 MX entries. I’m not kidding. It is highly recommended you read this forum thread to get up to speed before taking the plunge.