Free DDNS

[Anthony5]

I'm looking for a free DDNS service to access my sewcurity cameras over the internet.

In my router settings there are 2 options, Dyndns which is not free, and No-IP.com which is a free service.

So I actually have 2 questions regarding. Am I limited to these 2 options only, or can I choose another DDNS service provider.

If the answer to my first question is positive, which is a recommended free DDNS provider.

My router is a Tenda N301

[thaimite]

No-IP.com is free.

I have been using it for several years with no complaints

[Tywais]

No-IP.com is free.

I have been using it for several years with no complaints

Same here.

[Anthony5]

No-IP.com is free.

I have been using it for several years with no complaints

I know it is free, my question was actually if I'm able to choose another service, but it seems from the help file in the router that I only can choose between the services offered in the drop down menu of my router settings.

If it's a good service I will not have to worry anything. Thanks for the comment.

[thaimite]

Yes ymou can only choose between the setvices offeted unless you fladh the touter to an open source firmware such as DDWRT or similar. I wiuld not recommend this unless you feel comfortable with networking configurations.

Again I have no hestitation tecommending no-ip

[thaimite]

Yes ymou can only choose between the setvices offeted unless you fladh the touter to an open source firmware such as DDWRT or similar. I wiuld not recommend this unless you feel comfortable with networking configurations.

Again I have no hestitation tecommending no-ip

Sorry about the numerous typos in the above. I got dragged in to an urgent meeting in the middle of my responce and anybody who knows me will know the troube I have with my eyesight causing extensive garbage in my typing unless carefully checked,

Soory

[RichCor]

You can use any service that you can provide an IP Address update to.

This means an application (or a service) must be running somewhere on your system that can monitor your currently assigned WAN IP Address, and is compatible to send needed updates to your DDNS service. The easiest device is your router. But it could be any device that's always active located on your LAN that either inherently already supports your other DDNS service, or it can be made to support the other DDNS service by installing a compatible software module to provide the 'tattle tale' like service.

Anthony,

Take a look and see if the security cameras have DDNS reporting capabilities (and if so what services they support).

Otherwise, see if your DDNS service of choice has any software that could be downloaded and run on your WHS File Server, or another PC.

It's possible that if you use an android set top box, if left on, running their DDNS monitor and reporting software in the background.

So, yes, there are lots of ways to use other DDNS services, even if your router doesn't support them.

[Pakaty]

I use No-IP.com as said its free and works well. Though, I do get weekly emails asking if I want to upgrade to a paid version. Every email says its my last chance to upgrade at this special price.

[Pakaty]

Yes ymou can only choose between the setvices offeted unless you fladh the touter to an open source firmware such as DDWRT or similar. I wiuld not recommend this unless you feel comfortable with networking configurations.

Again I have no hestitation tecommending no-ip

Sorry about the numerous typos in the above. I got dragged in to an urgent meeting in the middle of my responce and anybody who knows me will know the troube I have with my eyesight causing extensive garbage in my typing unless carefully checked,

Soory

I thought you were focusing to much.

[thaimite]

Yes sorry I xhould have mentioed that you can run a client on another device such as your PC but it is not much use unless it is on 24/7 if you want access to a CCTV camera. I also use a Radpberty pi for DDNS which also provides other services

[Anthony5]

You can use any service that you can provide an IP Address update to.

This means an application (or a service) must be running somewhere on your system that can monitor your currently assigned WAN IP Address, and is compatible to send needed updates to your DDNS service. The easiest device is your router. But it could be any device that's always active located on your LAN that either inherently already supports your other DDNS service, or it can be made to support the other DDNS service by installing a compatible software module to provide the 'tattle tale' like service.

Anthony,

Take a look and see if the security cameras have DDNS reporting capabilities (and if so what services they support).

Otherwise, see if your DDNS service of choice has any software that could be downloaded and run on your WHS File Server, or another PC.

It's possible that if you use an android set top box, if left on, running their DDNS monitor and reporting software in the background.

So, yes, there are lots of ways to use other DDNS services, even if your router doesn't support them.

The cameras I use currently have iview.hk as free Dyndns registered with username and password set already, but I would prefer to stay away from a service provided by the camera manufacturer, and I'm the process of upgrading to new cameras.

I use blueiris software the view the cameras on my Windows Home server, and will use Blueiris mobile to view it on my phone.

I think a android box would be insufficient for my purpose as i want the cameras to record if there is movement, and so would need sufficient storage which is available on my server.

The the server is configured that it can't download anything from the internet, but it will to be able stream to a DDNS service.

Is this possible?

I have no specific preference for a free DDNS, just want to know if No-IP.com is decent or there are better alternatives, if so can you give some names.

So I assume that the application you talk about is a software that can run on my server. Which software would this be?

I know from your post history that you're very knowledgeable about this kind of things, so would you advise to use a different DDNS than the No-IP.com or don't bother with all the configuration hassles involved?

Edited September 13, 2015 by Anthony5

[thaimite]

The purpose of a DDNS is to enable your remote application to have access to your home system.

The internet works using IP addresses which nobody can remember so Domain Name Services (DNS) were invented. Normally a service such as Thaivisa.com will have a static IP address so there is no problem in applying for a Domain name.

However as a fixed IP address is expensive and as your home IP address will change at the whim of your ISP companies like no-IP provide a service where they detect your current IP address and map it to your chosen Domain name.

Thus all you need to remember is your chosen DNS name such as My-house.no-ip.com. Then no matter what IP address your ISP assigns you or when they change it you are still able to have access thanks to your dynamic Domain Name Service.

To achieve this you need a small piece of software running on your touter or another device that checks your IP address every few minutes and reports if there has been a change to the DDNS server.

No-IP.com and probably others provide this software and configuration details free of charge for most systems, however if your router only has the ability to use DynDNS or No-ip.com then you are limted to one of these services unless you flash your router as I mentioned earlier. This is because you cannot install the required program on your router for any other service,

The other alternative is to install the software on your server BUT if your ISP changes your IP address whilst your server is turend off you will have no access to your system and cannot even do a remote boot of the server to update their records.

NOTE as discussed in another thread (rearding access to a CCTV camera under 3BB) No DynDNS, either no-IP.com or any other will work unless you have a public IP address (definetly not with a mobile connnection). Before you ask I do not know a work around for this issue but others may and I would be glad to learn it. That thread also tells you how to establish if you have a public or prvate IP address.

The question of whether any Dynamic DNS service is any good comes down to their reliability and their speed of updating the DNS servers around the world with your new IP address.

NOTE 2. You do not stream anything to the DDNS server. The DDNS service is just a lookup service to tell any software using the domain name you have chosen what the current IP address is matched to that name so it can connect. You then connect to your system directly and then to your camera using port forwarding. (a topic of many other threads)

I hope all this helps and has cleared a few misconceptions for you.

I hpe this all helps.

Edit.

The only Dynamic DNS service I have tried is no-ip.com and as it just works I have not bothered looking at any other alternative. They provide up to 5 names free, so I have one name for my home location on my router, and aother for when I am away working (pointing to my house where I work).. I also have a 3rd running on a rasberry Pi at home as I have found that sometimes the (TP-Link) router does not always detect the change of IP and thus the Rasberry Pi provides a backup DNS name.

Edited September 13, 2015 by thaimite

[RichCor]

We're only suggesting the android or raspberry PI be used to provide the simple WAN IP monitor (tattle-tale) service that keeps the DDNS service constantly updated with your current IP Address. If your router or camera doesn't support the DDNS service you want to use then the DDNS service probably provides the necessary monitor software that would work on whatever platform you have available, or a third-party or kind amateur code developer may have written one. They just read the WAN IP address and send updates to the DDNS.

If the 'server' doesn't connect to the internet (ie: no gateway access) then it can't be used to stream to the Internet. It can be used to record the stream as it's find for LAN only traffic.

As mentioned, the Free DDNS service will constantly nag you, and if you don't answer the odd nag asking if you still want to use the service, they'll kill it.

Paid service is more reliable with a bit more support and service, like supporting custom domains and subdomains.