Getting Started With DDNS.org

Here there are the necessary steps to remotely connect to a device in your house like a camera, surveillance system or home automation. The entire process is described here: from creating the URL on DDNS.org to configuring your modem.

{warning} We assume that you already have a DDNS.ORG account, otherwise you can start a trial account simply with your name and email Click Here for free trial

The 3 Steps to use DDNS:

  • Step 1: Create new Hostname in DDNS.org
  • Step 2: Configure modem for dyndns update
  • Step 3: Open ports for your device using port forwarding in modem

Step 1: Create Hostname in your account

{info} If you already have an hostname, you can skip to Step 2 Configure Update

To create one hostname follow this procedure:

  1. Access your account in DDNS.org at this address https://ddns.org/dashboard and click on Create Hostname button Like in the following image create ddns.org hostname step 1

  2. Create your hostname choosing a fancy hostname and entering a new username and password. create ddns.org hostname step 2

    Field Meaning
    hostname Define the URL that you will use to reach your connection
    user & password Define a new USER with a Password that you will use to configure your modem.

  3. After creating the hostname you can see the recap of data you can use to configure the modem ddns.org data

After the succefull hostname creation you can begin to configure the modem dyndns update section!

Step 2: Configure modem for dyndns update

The modem needs to be configured to send an update to hostname whenever the IP changes.

{info} Modem Update configuration is done by entering the hostname data in the DynDNS section of the modem.

After accessing the modem administration interface, and reaching the dyndns configuration page on the modem, you can enter the DDNS.ORG hostname parameters to allow the modem to send IP update.

Usually the modem configuration requires 3 parameters like the following:

Field Meaning
hostname or domain Your hostname
user & password The User & password that you defined when you crated the hostname on ddns.org
provider Select dyndns.it if possibile else select 'CUSTOM DNS'
Update URL IF you need to

This is an example of a modem configured with ddns.org using the dyndns.it provider and the host that we just created in Step 1: ddns.org updated

Notes:

  • Usually, on most modems, accessing the administration interface is as simply as visiting page: https://192.168.1.1.
  • For more information on this step you can check your modem manual.

Step 3: Open ports for your device

Lastly, you have to configure the modem / router to allow remote connections to reach your device

You can open the ports on modem in two different way:

  • one easy: using DMZ
  • one more complex, but more secure: using Port forwarding

Open ports using DMZ

You should only know the local IP of your device ()usually the form of 192.168.1.x) and enter it in the DMZ page of your router:

An example of DMZ configuration: DMZ DDNS.org

Open ports using Port Forward

This configuration allows only selected connections from remote to reach your device. It is more secure because you can specify the allowed connections.

The requisite is to know the local IP of your device (usually in the form of 192.168.1.xxx), and the ports on which the device listens for connections. You have to enter a rule for each port.

An example of port forwarding configuration for port 554 and port 8080 Port forwarding DDNS.org

You can find more information on port forwarding on https://portforward.com/

Conclusion

After the configuration listed in this page, you can find the IP of your connection using the hostname and connect to your device on the open ports.

Sample 1: connection using a browser

For example if your device permits an http access on port 8080 then you can reach it using an address like this:

http://myexamplehost.fixip.org:8080

with the hostname, followed by colon ':' and the port number open.

Sample 2: connection using an App

If you use an App to connect to your device, you have to enter the hostname where the App requires the IP or host of the device.

For example if you use Remote Desktop to reach your PC behind a Dynamic IP you should enter the hostname as PC name like this: Remote DEsktop DDNS.org

{primary} In the new section Modems you can find more examples of modem configuration for DDNS update