Dynamic DNS Readme

Important information to know about Dynamic DNS

General Troubleshooting

If your Dynamic DNS host is resolving correctly to the assigned IP address (which you can check with our DNS Query Tool), the problem is not related to the Dynamic DNS service, but most likely to your local network. You can view our article on common networking problems and solutions here.

Dynamic IP Address Updating

To keep your Dynamic DNS host up-to-date automatically with your network's latest IP address, you will need to install an update client. Update clients come in two types: software clients which are installed on computers running Windows, Mac OSX or Unix/Linux, or hardware clients embedded in devices such as routers and webcams. (We recommend using software clients over hardware clients whenever possible, as software clients are easier to install, configure and troubleshoot than hardware clients.)

Abuse Blocks

Dynamic DNS hosts should only be updated when their IP addresses change. If your update client sends unnecessary updates to our systems, these updates are logged as abusive; too many abusive updates will result in the hosts being blocked for abuse. A blocked host cannot be updated until it is unblocked by our support staff. If a host remains blocked for too long, it will be deleted from the system.

Some unnecessary updates are expected, such as when setting up a new client. If you are setting up a new client and the host becomes blocked, it is not usually because of the update testing, but because your update client is updating improperly. We also allow updates every 28 days to maintain activity, as Dynamic DNS hosts expire if they are not updated within a 35-day period. You can prevent inactivity expirations by purchasing an Account Upgrade. Account Upgrades will also significantly increase the abuse block threshold.

If your host becomes blocked, please use the unblock request link on the host's configuration page.

Inactivity Expirations

Dynamic DNS host activity is measured by how often the host's IP address is updated. If a host is not updated within 35 days, it will be removed from the system. To prevent these expirations, you can use an update client which forces an update every 28 days, or purchase an Account Upgrade.

Dynamic DNS for Registered Domains

If you wish to have the capabilities of the Dynamic DNS service for your own registered domain (e.g. mydomain.com), you are looking for our Custom DNS service.

Disappearing Wildcard or MX Settings

Some update clients do not support Wildcard or MX settings. If a client sends no value for these settings, they are automatically set to "off" or "none". If your Dynamic DNS hosts keep losing their Wildcard or MX settings, it is likely that your update client is clearing the values every time your IP changes, and you will need to find a client that supports Wildcard and MX settings or check your current client's configuration to enable them properly.

IP Detection Behind Firewalls or Proxies

Many update clients offer methods to automatically account for detection problems involving firewalls and proxies. To view your current location's external IP address, please visit http://www.dyndns.com/, then http://checkip.dyndns.com:8245/. The address listed on the first site should match the address listed on the second site. If not, you are likely seeing a problem caused by a firewall or proxy; the second site, using port 8245 to bypass these problems, should be the correct and true external IP for your network. You will need to configure your client to use port 8245 for external IP detection from our CheckIP site. (Our DynDNS Updater for Windows installation guide provides more information on how to configure the DynDNS Updater for this alternate port.)

Multiple Sites on the Same Server

It is possible to host different websites at the same IP address on the same webserver with separate hostnames. To do so, please see our Knowledge Base articles on webservers and name-based virtual hosting.

URL Redirection and Alternate Ports

You can change a Dynamic DNS host into a WebHop, an HTTP-based redirection that sends visitors to the desired URL. This is useful for redirecting short Dynamic DNS hosts to much longer hosted pages (e.g. myhost.dyndns.org to freewebhost.com/really/long/sub/~directory/) or alternate ports to circumvent port blocking (e.g. myhost.dyndns.org to mycamera.dyndns.org:8000). Simply select WebHop Redirect under Service Type and enter the desired address into the Redirect URL field. Cloaked WebHops in free accounts feature a DynDNS bar at the top of the redirection; you can remove these by purchasing an Account Upgrade.

Offline Hostname

The Offline Hostname feature temporarily sets the host to our offline webpage to provide helpful error messages to your visitors. This feature is useful for maintenance windows, outages, and other times when your server isn't available for a short while and you need to let your visitors know without setting up a second server and temporary downtime page elsewhere. The Offline Hostname feature is not failover (automated detection and redirection for unavailable servers); if you do need failover service, you may be interested in our Dynect services.

SSL Certificates

You cannot use third-party SSL certificates for Dynamic DNS hosts, including the certificates we offer. You may use self-signed certificates for Dynamic DNS hosts. If you need the security of a third-party certificate for business transactions or corporate use, you may wish to create your own domain registration and DNS service, then purchase a QuickSSL or True BusinessID certificate for the domain.