Activate free Dynamic DNS for your domain

With Dynamic DNS, you can easily access a server you have at home for storing files, encrypt your connection with a private VPN, access your computer remotely, and create a secure connection to IoT devices in your home. 

We’ll show you how to get started with a free Dynamic DNS for your domain and how you can use Dynamic DNS to make domains more useful. 

What is Dynamic DNS? 

Dynamic DNS, also known as DynDNS or DDNS, is a technology used to provide easy access to a computer or network without a static IP address. It makes it simple to connect to a server, such as one in your home, where you often don’t have a fixed IP address. 

How does Dynamic DNS work? 

Imagine you need to send a letter to a friend, but there’s a problem: your friend moves once a month. You can send the letter to the last known address, but there’s a risk that your friend has moved, and the letter won’t reach them. You could search for the person’s address, but is the address information up-to-date?  

In this analogy, Dynamic DNS is used by the recipient to ensure their address information is always up-to-date. 

DNS is a system that translates domain names into IP addresses. A domain name can be one.com, while an IP address can be 195.47.247.9. When you type one.com in your browser, DNS tells your computer that the server for one.com is located at 195.47.247.9. 

Some servers and Internet connections lack a fixed IP address and have a dynamic IP address that can change daily, weekly, or monthly. Manually changing the DNS settings for a domain is possible, but it’s difficult and can cause downtime. 

With Dynamic DNS, software runs on a router, computer, or server at your destination. The computer monitors its Internet connection’s IP address and sends updates via DynDNS to change the IP address when a new address is assigned. This way, DynDNS ensures that a domain’s DNS settings are always updated with the latest IP address. 

What can Dynamic DNS be used for? 

Dynamic DNS is used to dynamically update DNS settings for domains that point to computers or servers that lack static IP addresses. Users often use DynDNS with a computer or server at home.

Here are some examples of home use cases that can benefit from Dynamic DNS: 

Access to home devices 

Gain direct access to smart devices in your home without using a third-party server. You can, for example, create a private connection to surveillance cameras or Internet of Things devices at home. 

VPN

A VPN can encrypt your connection to make your Internet browsing safer, such as when you’re on vacation. You can set up a VPN at home and use Dynamic DNS to browse as if you were at home, even if you’re lounging on a beach in Greece. 

Remote Desktop 

If you have a desktop computer at home that you need to use while at work or travelling, you can use Remote Desktop to connect to your computer. 

File transfer

If you have important files on your computer or NAS (network-attached storage), you can use DynDNS to fetch, upload, or edit files when you’re not at home. 

Use free Dynamic DNS with your domain 

Many services offer Dynamic DNS, although they often have one problem: they don’t work with your domain, or they cost money. If you want to use your domain name with a dynamic DNS, you need to configure your domain’s DNS settings so they update dynamically.  

There are services you can use to do this for free. We’ll show you how to use a free solution from Cloudflare that works with one.com. 

Activate Dynamic DNS with Cloudflare 

Before we start, you need a domain. If you don’t already have one, you can buy a domain from us at one.com. 

Cloudflare is a service that primarily offers a CDN for websites and web services but they also offer several simple DNS solutions, one of which is Dynamic DNS. 

To use Cloudflare, you need to change your name server to Cloudflare’s. After doing this, you can change all DNS settings using Cloudflare instead of one.com. 

Cloudflare supports Dynamic DNS through its Cloudflare API. This allows a client on your router, computer, or server to update your domain’s DNS settings dynamically.  

We do recommend that you have basic knowledge of DNS if you’re looking to do this, as it can be a bit complicated. 

Follow these steps 

To get started, you need to install a program on your computer called ddclient. You must install it on a computer or server that always uses the Internet connection you want your DNS to point to. Ddclient is available for download for Mac and Linux. For Windows users, we recommend DNS-O-Matic. You can also use DNS-O-Matic with your router, if your router uses either the DD-WRT or Tomato operating systems. To get started, you need to create a free account with DNS-O-Matic and connect it to Cloudflare. 

Once you’ve configured your client, your DNS settings will automatically update. Note that DNS can take several hours to update globally, so it may take some time for your domain to start working correctly. 

Security and ports with Dynamic DNS 

If you’re using Dynamic DNS to connect to devices in your home, it’s important to consider your security. You may need to open ports in your router, which can make it possible for malicious actors to access your home network. Therefore, make sure to only open ports to specific devices and ensure these devices are continuously updated and have strong passwords. 

Find your new domain

With Dynamic DNS, you can find new uses for your domains. You can have one domain for your personal website, one for your business, and one for your home. If you want to find a new domain for an exciting new project or for your new Dynamic DNS connections, you can search for an available domain. Choose from hundreds of top-level domains!