How to Link a Domain Name to a Dynamic IP

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Every so often we run into a situation where a traditional static DNS doesn’t satisfy our needs. That’s when Dynamic DNS (DDNS) enters the picture. In this article we are going to cover the basics of dynamic DNS to solve those frustrating situations when the IP of our server tends to change periodically, even though our domain name ought to redirect to the correct IP. Always.

A while ago I was talking on the phone with one of my acquaintances. He was complaining because the Internet Service Provider (ISP) had just upgraded their business system and his current Internet access got affected too. He was referring to the problem with dynamic IPs, emphasizing how that sabotages the way he was running his server. As soon as I introduced the concept of DDNS, this wasn’t an issue anymore.

Lately I’ve also noticed that dynamic DNS-related questions are popping up quite frequently on online message boards and forums. That’s when I realized that, contrary to the fact that dynamic DNS services have been around for more than a decade, the vast majority of people don't have a clue that it is possible to set up a domain name that automatically updates itself in order to point to the correct IP all the time.

Therefore, I’ve decided to write a sort of “how-to” article where I could present briefly the concept of DDNS. In the beginning, we are going to dwell a bit on the theory behind the Domain Name System because we need to understand the basics in order to fully grasp the concepts involved with a Dynamic DNS. Next, we’ll be introducing a few applicable solutions that you could implement right after reading this tutorial.

All of this being said, I invite you to join us for the next few pages.

Next: The Theory >>
 

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