Dynamic DNS help

[Piyono]

I'm looking to hook up with some dynamic DNS for my ever-changing IP.
I've checked out some pay and free DNS sites, and I've looked over the Windows DNS clients, but I don't know which way to go.
I'd appreciate any suggestions.


Piyono

 

[The JoJo]

I've used www.no-ip.com and dyndns. Both have been free of charge (the service I have used). Both have worked ok.

Recommended. Although, it's about 6 months since I used dyndns. Using no-ip every day.

 

[Clocker]

I use DynDNS with my cheapie Netgear router. The router keeps track of when my WAN ID changes and automagically updates it with DynDNS (you provide your ID & Password for DynDNS to the router).

Works great, is free, and I highly recommend it.

I've never used any of the software programs available to update DynDNS with your new IP but there are several listed on the Dyndns site and I believe they are free.

C

 

[zx]

Can those services be used to access a computer that is behind a software router (windows server NAT)? How about two computers?

Typical situation :
"I have two machines behind a router. Both have a web server running with two different web sites. Can I access both sites from an external source? "

Thanks...

 

[Clocker]

If the web servers are running on different ports, it should not be a problem ZX...you can have the router port forward to whatever machine has the server is active on the specific port, right?

Unless you have multiple WAN addresses, I think that is all you can do. There are probably more complicated solutions that may be able to work with only one WAN address and multiple servers on the same port but I doubt any of the simple routers or free services out there can do it. Some hardware routers have the ability to use multiple WAN addresses (for instance, my ISP will give me up to 3 WAN IP addresses) so that requests to a specific WAN address can be routed to a specific server behind the router. BUt, if you don't have multiple WAN addresses, I don't know how your router will be able to determine what traffic goes to what server....

C

 

[blakerwry]

Can those services be used to access a computer that is behind a software router (windows server NAT)? How about two computers?

Typical situation :
"I have two machines behind a router. Both have a web server running with two different web sites. Can I access both sites from an external source? "

Thanks...

If you're using IIS 4+ or Apache you can use 1 server to host a basically infinite amount of sites on the same port. The server looks at the URL you used to arrive at the site (assuming an HTTP 1.1 browser.. ie: IE3+) The server then looks to see if it hosts a site by the same URL, if it does then it displays that site seamlessly. If it does not then it takes you to a default site(Apache) or it gives you an error(common with IIS).

It's called virtual hosts in apache.. not sure what IIS calls it.. but it's an integral part to both server daemons.


Or, you can do like previously mentioned and use seperate ports and ahve the router forward everything on port X to computer X and everything on port Y to computer Y.

 

[Howell]

Or, you can do like previously mentioned and use seperate ports and ahve the router forward everything on port X to computer X and everything on port Y to computer Y.

But you also have to admin the DNS service so that it knows the certain URL goes toward a certain port.

I've only used Dyndns.org. I've used a linux client and a windows client for both cliptin.dyndns.org and custom addresses (whstrain.us) at the same time.

 

[blakerwry]

The DNS service really doesn't have to be concerned with the port the service is running on.. all a basic DNS service does is resolve your domain into an IP. I have had mixed success with the more "advanced" features of some DNS services like forwarding to another protocol, forwarding to another port, or forwarding to a URL on another server...

 

[Howell]

The DNS service really doesn't have to be concerned with the port the service is running on.. all a basic DNS service does is resolve your domain into an IP.

OK smartypants, how would you tell the DNS service that you want sf.net to resolve to 192.168.0.50:8080?

 

[Clocker]

Was that really necessary?

C

 

[blakerwry]

You don't. That's not what DNS is for.

You tell the DNS server to resolve to the IP address. Then when someone goes to the URL they type in http://someURL:8080

Try checking out http://computer.howstuffworks.com/dns.htm for a description on DNS

If you have a DNS server that allows you to forward to a port, they probably are using a neat hack by sending your broswer to an HTML page that includes a frame. The frame source tells the browser to go to your address, port and all. (atleast this is what I've seen from a couple freeDNS(and now no free) providers) The users sees the base URL of the site(maybe even without port number showing), while the browser is all the time on the site running on the non-standard port.

 

[Howell]

If you have a DNS server that allows you to forward to a port, they probably are using a neat hack by sending your broswer to an HTML page that includes a frame.

That is what I was refering to when I said:

But you also have to admin the DNS service so that it knows the certain URL goes toward a certain port.

Sounds like we are on the same page.

 

[Howell]

Was that really necessary?

C

I seem to be leaving out most of my smileys tonight. :-?

 

[Clocker]

:wink:

 

[blakerwry]

This might also be of help...

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/web-server1.htm


ZX-
I've never used software NAT(.. or atleast software that wasn't running on dedicated hardware meant for the job) esp. not windows NAT for any length of time. So I'm not sure if it allows port forwarding or not. If it does, then all you need to do is forward port 80 (the default standard HTTP port) to the IP address of your internal server. The DNS will need to be set to see your WAN IP(the external IP on the computer running NAT).

Anybody surfing to your server will resolve your domian name into your external IP via DNS, then it will create a connection to that IP on port 80. Your NAT computer receive the connection and will then forward that to your internal server and your web server and the client can communicate back and forth through your NAT box.

If your NAT box is running the web server(and not forwarding) then it will probably accept the connection and serve the pages up directly to the client.

If there is no server and no forwarding to a computer running a web damon then the connection will be refused.

 

[e_dawg]

I use www.dhs.org for a dynamic DNS entry and DynSite to monitor my IP and update my DNS entry at DHS.org.

 

[zx]

I've never used software NAT(.. or atleast software that wasn't running on dedicated hardware meant for the job) esp. not windows NAT for any length of time. So I'm not sure if it allows port forwarding or not. If it does, then all you need to do is forward port 80 (the default standard HTTP port) to the IP address of your internal server. The DNS will need to be set to see your WAN IP(the external IP on the computer running NAT).

I found this on technet.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/columns/cableguy/cg0503.asp

 

[Mercutio]

Windows NAT can forward ports or route internet addresses to internal hosts, if you have more than one assigned internet address.

 

[zx]

Windows NAT can forward ports or route internet addresses to internal hosts, if you have more than one assigned internet address.

Humm...so it won't work with my setup...Is there a way for me to implement port forwarding without a router? I think ICS does that, but only for standard ports like 80 or 21.

 

[Mercutio]

NAT can forward ports, but only if you're willing to give up that port on the gateway machine. Port forwarding is one of those things that basically requires some kind of router-like service, by definition.