Using the Dynamic DNS (DDNS)

- What is DDNS?

The DDNS service, an IP Registry provides a public central database where information such as email addresses, hostnames, IPs etc. can be stored and retrieved. This solves the problems if your DNS server uses an IP associated with dynamic IPs.

Without DDNS, we always tell the users to use the WAN IP of the ZyAIR to access the internal server. It is inconvenient for the users if this IP is dynamic. With DDNS supported by the ZyAIR, you apply a DNS name (e.g., www.zyxel.com.tw) for your server (e.g., Web server) from a DDNS server. The outside users can always access the web server using the www.zyxel.com.tw regardless of the WAN IP of the ZyAIR.

When the ISP assigns the ZyAIR a new IP, the ZyAIR must inform the DDNS server the change of this IP so that the server can update its IP-to-DNS entry. Once the IP-to-DNS table in the DDNS server is updated, the DNS name for your web server (i.e., www.zyxel.com.tw) is still usable.

The DDNS server stores password-protected email addresses with IPs and hostnames and accepts queries based on email addresses. So, there must be an email entry in the ZyAIR menu 1.

The DDNS servers the ZyAIR supports currently is WWW.DYNDNS.ORG where you apply the DNS from and update the WAN IP to.

- Setup the DDNS

1. Before configuring the DDNS settings in the ZyAIR, you must register an account from the DDNS server such as WWW.DYNDNS.ORG first. After the registration, you have a hostname for your internal server and a password using to update the IP to the DDNS server.
2. Toggle 'Configure Dynamic DNS' option to 'Yes' and press ENTER for configuring the settings of the DDNS in menu 1.1.

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`Menu 1 - General Setup System Name= ZyAIR Domain Name= First System DNS Server= From ISP IP Address= N/A Second System DNS Server= From ISP IP Address= N/A Third System DNS Server= From ISP IP Address= N/A Edit Dynamic DNS= Yes`

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`Menu 1.1 - Configure Dynamic DNS Service Provider= WWW.DynDNS.ORG Active= Yes DDNSType= DynamicDNS Host1=ZYAIR Host2= Host3= USER=test Password= ******** Enable Wildcard= Yes Offline= N/A Edit Update IP Address: Use Server Detected IP= No User Specified IP Address= No IP Address= N/A Press ENTER to Confirm or ESC to Cancel:`

Key Settings for using DDNS function:

Dynamic Domain Name System lets you use a static host name with a dynamic IP address, see the User's Guide for more information.
Label | Description
Active | Select this check box to activate DDNS.
Service Provider | Select the name of your Dynamic DNS service provider.
DDNS Type | Select the type of service that you are registered for from your Dynamic DNS service provider.
Host Name 1 .. 3 | Enter your host names in the three fields provided. You can specify up to two host names in each field separated by a comma (",").
User | Type your user name.
Password | Type the password assigned to you.
Enable Wildcard | Your ZyAIR supports DYNDNS Wildcard. Select the check box to enable.
Off Line | This option is available when CustomDNS is selected in the DDNS Type field. Check with your Dynamic DNS service provider to have traffic redirected to a URL (that you can specify) while you are off line.
Edit Update IP Address
Server Auto Detect | Select this option to update the IP address of the host name(s) automatically by the DDNS server. It is recommended that you select this option.
User Specify | Select this option to update the IP address of the host name(s) to the IP address specified below. Use this option only if you have a static IP address.
IP Address | Enter the IP address if you select the User Specify option.
Apply | Click Apply to save your changes.
Reset | Click Reset to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

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