Understanding dynamic DNS records

What is Dynamic DNS (DDNS)?

Most home and small business internet connections are assigned a Dynamic IP address, which change periodically or upon a router restart.

If you are hosting a home server or VPN, you lose access the moment that IP changes. DDNS is an automated tracker that bridges this gap. Whenever your ISP assigns you a new IP, your software notifies our API, and we update your record instantly. This ensures your domain (e.g., home.yourdomain.com) always finds your network.

Why DDNS is Essential

• Reliable Remote Access: Connect to your VPN, security cameras, or home server using one permanent, easy-to-remember address.
• Zero Manual Maintenance: No more manually updating DNS records every time your router reboots or the ISP refreshes your connection.

This guide will walk you through securing your dedicated DDNS credentials, preparing your DNS records, and choosing the best method to automate your updates whether through your router or third-party software.

Phase 1: Setup in the Dashboard

Before configuring any software, you must prepare your credentials and records in the name.com dashboard.

1. Secure Your API Credentials

Navigate to the API Credentials section of the DDNS management page.

• Use DDNS-Specific Credentials: For security, you must use the credentials displayed on this screen. Do not use your standard Name.com account login.
• One-Time Password: The secret key is only visible once. Copy it to a password manager immediately.
• Regeneration: If you lose this password, clicking Regenerate will immediately break any active software configurations until they are updated with the new key.

2. Create Your DNS Record

Create an "A" record for the DDNS service to target.

• Type: A
• Host: Your subdomain (e.g., home.yourdomain.com)
• Answer: Any placeholder IP (e.g., 1.1.1.1). Your software will overwrite this automatically.

Phase 2: Understanding the Update API

Our service uses the industry-standard dyndns2 protocol. You can trigger updates via software or a simple HTTP GET request:

https://api.name.com/nic/update?hostname=[YOUR_HOSTNAME]&myip=[YOUR_IP]

Response Codes & Rate Limits

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Rate Limiting Checking for changes every 10–15 minutes is ideal. If you send too many requests in a short timeframe, the server will return an HTTP 429 (Too Many Requests) error

Phase 3: Software & Connection Methods

Now that your credentials are ready, choose the method that best fits your environment.

Option A: Router Configuration

Many modern models from ASUS, TP-Link, and Netgear include built-in DDNS support. To use Name.com, look for a "Custom" or "User-defined" provider option. Once selected, use the dyndns2 protocol and enter the unique DDNS credentials you secured in Phase 1.

Option B: Using ddclient 

If your router doesn’t support custom providers, ddclient is a reliable way to automate your updates. It is a lightweight background service (daemon) compatible with almost all Linux distributions and macOS

1. Installation

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo apt-get install ddclient

macOS (Homebrew):

brew install ddclient

2. Configuration 

Open your configuration file (usually /etc/ddclient.conf) and replace the contents with the following:

####################################################################

## Name.com (via dyndns2 protocol)

####################################################################

protocol=dyndns2

use=web  ## Detects your public IP via the web

server=api.name.com

login=YOUR_DDNS_USERNAME

password='YOUR_DDNS_PASSWORD'

# Hostname to update

YOUR_HOSTNAME (home.example.com

3. Testing Your Setup 

Execute a forced update to confirm your settings are correct and to push your current IP address to the Name.com dashboard Use the default path below (or adjust it if you saved your configuration file elsewhere):

sudo ddclient --file /path/to/ddclient.conf --foreground --verbose --force

ℹ️  Why use --force? Normally, ddclient only updates when it detects an IP change. The "force" flag tells it to ignore its history and update the dashboard right now, so you can see your results instantly

4: Automate the Service Once 

Once you see a successful connection in your dashboard, enable ddclient to run automatically in the background. This ensures your records stay updated even after a system reboot or power outage.

Option C: Using Inadyn

If you prefer a C-based client, Inadyn is an alternative to ddclient.

1. Installation

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo apt-get install inadyn

macOS (Homebrew):

brew install inadyn

2. Configuration

Because Inadyn does not include a built-in provider profile for Name.com, you must define a custom provider block in its configuration file.

Configuration file location:

• Linux: /etc/inadyn.conf
• macOS (Homebrew): /opt/homebrew/etc/inadyn.conf

Add the following to your configuration file:

# Global settings

period = 3000

user-agent = "Mozilla/5.0"

custom "name-systems" {

    username       = "YOUR_DDNS_USERNAME"

    password       = "YOUR_DDNS_PASSWORD"

    hostname       = "YOUR_HOSTNAME"

    ddns-server    = "api.name.com"

    ddns-path      = "/nic/update?hostname=%h&myip=%i"

    ssl            = true # Encrypts your credentials during the update

}

3. Test and Verify 

Execute a forced update to confirm your configuration is correct. Use the default path below (or adjust it if your configuration file is saved elsewhere):

path with the location of your Inadyn configuration file):

sudo inadyn -1 --force -f /path/to/inadyn.conf -l debug

ℹ️  What do these flags do? The -1 tells Inadyn to run once and exit, while --force ensures it pushes an update even if your IP hasn't changed. The -l debug flag provides a detailed log so you can see the "good" or "nochg" response from our servers.

4. Final Automation 

Once you have confirmed a successful connection, you can enable Inadyn to have it manage your updates automatically in the background.

Phase 4: Verification

Regardless of which method you chose, head back to your name.com DNS Management page (https://www.name.com/account/domain/details/[YOUR_DOMAIN]/dns) . If the Answer field for your hostname now reflects your network’s actual public IP address, your setup is complete!