DuckDNS: free Dynamic DNS service

DuckDNS.org is a free Dynamic DNS service that forwards a DNS to a custom IP address. It is built on Amazon’s AWS infrastructure and features a deceptively simple website that performs exactly as advertised.

The majority of systems and devices are assigned dynamic IP addresses via DHCP. These addresses are constantly changing, making remote access and setting up a home web server difficult. The solution to this problem is to purchase a static IP address from your Internet Service Provider, which is quite expensive and rarely done nowadays. Typically, only larger businesses invest in them, and they are not readily accessible in rural areas.

In these instances, a Dynamic DNS service is critical. It maps Internet Domain Names to dynamic IP addresses and is constantly updating its DNS records to reflect the DHCP server’s most recent IP address assignment. To put it simply, it enables a single web address to point to a dynamic IP address, which is ideal for home users.

To enable automated IP address updates, download and install DuckDns Updater, a System Tray application that automatically refreshes and synchronizes the DuckDNS DNS service with your host’s dynamic IP address. The Updater monitors the external network’s IP address and, if it changes, updates the sub-domain configuration in your DuckDNS account, ensuring that your host is always accessible from a remote network.

• Log in to Duck DNS using your Google, Github, or other social media accounts.
• Enter the name of the subdomain you wish to associate with your current IP address and click ‘Add Domain’.
• Additionally, you can create a subdomain and assign it a different IP address than the current system. This way, you can add the IP addresses of all the systems you wish to remotely access from the outside world.
• From this link, download and install the DuckDNS updater. Java runtime environment must be installed in order for it to run.
• In the system tray, right-click the DuckDNS updater and select ‘Duck DNS settings‘.
• Enter the name of the subdomain you created previously, paste the ‘token from the DuckDNS home screen, and click ‘Ok’.

To use your new DDNS name, you must configure your router’s port forwarding. Port forwarding enables a system on your home or business network to communicate with computers on the internet, even if they are protected by a router or firewall. For information on configuring port forwarding, which varies according to router, click here.

DuckDNS also offers tools and tutorials for automating IP address updates on Linux, OS X, Amazon EC2, and, surprisingly, Raspberry Pi. They are accessible via this link.

I evaluated DuckDNS and discovered that it operates flawlessly. I could ping my DuckDNS subdomain from an external PC and it pointed to the same IP address as the DuckDNS updater captured.

If you want to set up a web server, media server, or ftp server at home, or simply connect to your home computer from work via a remote desktop application, DuckDNS is one of the simplest and best dynamic DNS providers. Although the website’s design is unappealing, it devotes its entire effort to delivering on its promise.

Summary

DuckDNS.org is a free Dynamic DNS service that forwards a DNS to a custom IP address. It is built on Amazon’s AWS infrastructure and features a deceptively simple website that performs exactly as advertised. To enable automated IP address updates, download and install DuckDns Updater, a System Tray application that automatically refreshes and synchronizes the DuckDNS DNS service with your host’s dynamicIP address. DuckDNS allows you to add the IP addresses of all the systems you wish to remotely access from within your home or business network.