How to Setup Dynamic DNS for your Home Network
Introduction:
In this article, I will be discussing several ways that you can implement Dynamic DNS, and utilise it to make remote access to your Home Network easier and more robust.
I have used Dynamic DNS for several purposes before, using it for Site-To-Site VPN, access NAS remotely, and more.
Dynamic DNS is a way to Actively and Automatically Update the DNS Records of your Domain name, it’s supported by almost any Router, but if your router doesn’t Support it, you can always download the Dynamic Update Client (DUC) which is offered by any DDNS Provider.
What Is Dynamic DNS and How is it different from DNS?
Dynamic DNS is a technique where the A Records of a domain name are periodically updated.
With this method, your domain name’s A Records will point to the latest Public IP Address assigned to your Device( Router, Load Balancer, etc.. ).
While the normal DNS A Records are updated manually, through the registrar’s DNS management Portal or API, the Dynamic DNS makes the updates automatically when the Public IP of your Router changes.
Why would you need Dynamic DNS?
If you have some services that are running inside your Home Network, and you need to access them remotely, you’ll need to make a VPN Connection, or Port forwarding to your desired services ( Desktop, NAS, Printer, etc … ), in order to initiate the connection, you need to know your Public IP Address.
But, When you subscribe to a Home Internet Plan from your local ISP, you will get a Dynamic public IP Address that changes periodically, so it’s always better to have a Domain Name that you can memorise ( for example: myhome.ddns.net ). And also this name will be updated automatically when your Public IP Address changes.
Check out this article for more information about setting up your home network.
How To Select a Dynamic DNS Provider?
Choosing a DDNS Provider depends on your goal from having Dynamic DNS.
Ultimately, it relays on these factors:
Does the DDNS Provider support custom domains?
If you host your website on your Home Server, you would need to make sure that the DDNS provider does provide a custom domain.
- Custom Domain Name: blog.morhafsh.com
- DDNS Provider Domain Name: morhafsh.ddns.net
Does your Home Router support the DDNS Provider?
Most Home Routers support Dynamic DNS of some Providers.
While it’s possible to use any Dynamic DNS Provider as they provide a client program that runs on Windows, MAC or Linux systems, it’s much more convenient and easier if the Router supports the DDNS Provider.
How Reliable is the DDNS Provider?
You have to ensure the provider is able to guarantee a good uptime of its services.
The Pricing:
Alot of DDNS Providers offer a free Dynamic DNS, however, if you need a custom domain or host more than domain in your account, you will need to get the paid plan.
How to Setup Dynamic DNS for your Home Network?
In this guide, I will use No-IP as a DDNS Provider, and I will be using Tp-Link Archer C7 as the Home Router:
Step – 1 – Head to No-Ip website and Sign Up for an account:
Go to noip.com and Sign Up for a new account:
Step – 2 – Creating a New Hostname:
On my.noip.com, go to Dynamic DNS > No-IP Hostnames > Create Hostname:
Then, choose your desired hostname, keep everything else as default, then create Hostname:
For this example, I’m using “myhome1996.ddns.net” as a Hostname.
Step – 3 – Login to your Home Router web management:
Once logged in, locate the Dynamic DNS settings , usually it’s under “Network Settings” in the advanced tab.
After that, choose the provider ( in this case No-IP ), then enter the details ( username, password , the hostname )
Then, choose the Update Interval:
then press “ Login and Save”, Wait until it shows “connected”
Now, the hostname “ myhome1996.ddns.net” will always point to your Public IP Address.
Step – 4 – Verify the configuration:
Wait a few minutes for Your Router to update the DNS Records on your DDNS Provider nameservers.
Then, head back again to your DDNS Provider portal, you should see that your Hostname is active and it’s updated to your current Public IP:
Conclusion:
Utilising the Dynamic DNS for your Home Network can help with setting up a remote connection from anywhere to your Home Network, or remote access for your Network Attached Storage, Your Plex media server, Site-To-Site VPN and a lot more. However, there are more steps you need to do for this to be functioning, like Port Forwarding, and Security considerations.
If you would like to know more on how you can setup a remote access, check out this article.
