diff --git a/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/README.md b/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/README.md
index 235d51f..d6f90f2 100644
--- a/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/README.md
+++ b/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/README.md
@@ -74,13 +74,6 @@ done
 
 Replace {region} and {number} and {APPNAME} with the correct values.
 
-## Link Variable Settings when in the main account repo
-
-Link these files from the `vpc/{region}/vpc{number}/` dirctory:
-
-* variables.vpc.tf
-* variables.vpc.auto.tfvars
-
 ## Copy includes.d when in a submodule repo
 
 This makes a copy of the entire `MAIN/includes.d` structure in the submodule, for use as soft links to bring in
@@ -95,14 +88,17 @@ rsync -avRWH $MAINTOP/./includes.d ./
 
 Replace {APPNAME} with the correct value.
 
-## Links includes.d when in the main account repo
-
-If thre is an existing `MAIN/includes.d/` path for the specific application variables you wish to apply,
-make a link to it as appropraite.
-
 ## Update the settings.auto.tfvars file
 
 Set the appropriate values in the `settings.auto.tfvars` file.  An example starter file is at `settings.auto.tfvars.example`.
+If you are deploying into an account using a shared VPC, you **must** define the domain name.  Please be sure the domain
+name exists.  To do so, check the output of `dig`. It should come back with a value with `awsdns` in the response.
+
+```console
+% dig +short in soa myenvironment.mydomain.csp1.census.gov
+% dig +short in soa dev.geo.csp1.census.gov
+ns-0.awsdns-us-gov-00.com. awsdns-hostmaster.amazon.com. 1 7200 900 1209600 86400
+```
 
 Here is a sample file:
 
@@ -504,3 +500,4 @@ clusterrolebinding.rbac.authorization.k8s.io/eks-console-dashboard-full-access-b
 
 - 1.0.0 -- 2023-10-27
   - setup for 1.25, ready for edits
+  - remove link sections, add dns zone check details
diff --git a/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/main.tf b/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/main.tf
index 286fe40..1565d6c 100644
--- a/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/main.tf
+++ b/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/main.tf
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ resource "aws_launch_template" "eks-nodegroup" {
 
     ebs {
       volume_size           = var.eks_instance_disk_size
+      volume_type           = var.eks_instance_volume_type
       delete_on_termination = true
       encrypted             = true
       #      kms_key_id            = data.aws_kms_key.ebs_key.arn
diff --git a/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/settings.auto.tfvars.example b/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/settings.auto.tfvars.example
index 444db69..c0171f3 100644
--- a/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/settings.auto.tfvars.example
+++ b/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/settings.auto.tfvars.example
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 cluster_name           = "{org}-{project}-{env}"
 cluster_version        = "1.25"
 region                 = "us-gov-east-1"
-## domain		= set to correct domain if using a shared vpc
+domain		       = "NAME"  ## set to correct domain if using a shared vpc
 eks_instance_disk_size = 40
 eks_vpc_name           = "{vpc_full_name}"
 eks_instance_type      = "t3.xlarge"
diff --git a/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/variables.eks.tf b/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/variables.eks.tf
index d8effda..de7e2bf 100644
--- a/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/variables.eks.tf
+++ b/examples/full-cluster-tf-upgrade/1.25/variables.eks.tf
@@ -51,6 +51,17 @@ variable "eks_instance_disk_size" {
   default     = 40
 }
 
+variable "eks_instance_volume_type" {
+  description = "The launch template volume type.  One of [gp2, gp3]. Default gp3"
+  type        = string
+  default     = "gp3"
+
+  validation {
+    condition     = contains(["gp2", "gp3"], var.eks_instance_volume_type)
+    error_message = "eks_instance_volume_type invalid (gp2,gp3)."
+  }
+}
+
 variable "domain" {
   description = "The DNS domain name of the cluster.  Defaults to empty which causes the sample application to use the domain assigned to the load balancer of the istio ingress gateway."
   type        = string