Dynamic DNS

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Dynamic DNS

MurrayM

2503 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 743

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#152076 15-Sep-2014 11:59

I'm trying to set up a computer to turn itself on remotely.

I've got the Wake-On-LAN function working ok. The next step is setting up some sort of dynamic DNS so I know where to send the wake-up request to.

The router is an EchoLife HG556a that Vodafone gave me. It has a Dynamic DNS option but it only supports DynDNS.org or TZO. Dyn has removed its free options and you have to pay $25 per year, and they also bought TZO a few years ago. I'd like to find a way to get Dynamic DNS working without having to pay anything (I would pay the $25 if I knew it was all going to work, but there doesn't appear to be any free trials on Dyn.com).

I assume that I'm stuck, as only the router will know the assigned IP address and it will only talk to Dyn.com.

Something like noip.com won't work because the computer won't be turned on and updating noip.com.

Can anyone think of any other solutions?

Dynamic

4020 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1857

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1128948 15-Sep-2014 12:02

Have a hunt around.

There are still some dynamic DNS suppliers with free offerings and a little agent that sits in your system tray.

I also remember seeing a little bit of software you can have running on a PC that emails you each time your external IP changes.

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

MurrayM

2503 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 743

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1128952 15-Sep-2014 12:04

Dynamic: Have a hunt around.

There are still some dynamic DNS suppliers with free offerings and a little agent that sits in your system tray.

I also remember seeing a little bit of software you can have running on a PC that emails you each time your external IP changes.

That won't work as the computer will be turned off, thus unable to run any software.

As far as I can see only the router will be able to know the IP address, and it's hardwired to only talk to Dyn.com.

Just out of interest, how often will my IP change on the Vodafone network? I know it's not static but is it fixed (i.e. semi-static) like on some other ISP's? If the router never loses connection will it keep the same IP address?

Glassboy

851 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 251

ID Verified

Trusted

#1128963 15-Sep-2014 12:20

My experience with Vodafone VDSL is it seems almost to be daily, so I just went with the $25 option. It's only the cost 5-6 cups of coffee, for a lot of ease and peace of mind.

kenkeniff

628 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 88

#1128969 15-Sep-2014 12:37

http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/huawei/hg556a

http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/howto/ddns.client

robjg63

4163 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1434

Subscriber

#1128978 15-Sep-2014 12:59

You would pretty much need something on your internal network that is switched on all the time and reporting your IP address.
I dont see how you would get around that.

One thought which looks like some people have it working is to utilise an old/cheap android phone.

You have it on your home wireless network.
You can set up a wake on lan app that will wake up your PC (remember both the phone and the PC will be in the same network).

There looks like an automater app called 'tasker' that you can use so that you send a message from 'outside' to the 'inside' phone and it will send the WOL to your PC.

Found this: http://csabak.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/wake-up-pc-by-text-sms.html - might be worth a read....

Cost:
$4 for tasker app
$0 for the phone or (today - $22 Vodafone Galaxy pocket Neo at Harvey Norman)
A bit of credit on the phone.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

MurrayM

2503 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 743

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1128995 15-Sep-2014 13:36

Thanks robjg63, I like your idea of using an old Android phone to do this. It just so happens that I do indeed have an old HTC Magic that's doing nothing. But I think the way I'd do it is to put one of the many No-IP apps on the phone so that the phone updated No-IP.com rather than mucking about with text messages and the like. So long as No-IP.com is updated then everything else will fall into place.

Thanks guys!

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

hio77

'That VDSL Cat'
13036 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3896

ID Verified

Trusted

Lizard Networks

Subscriber

#1128999 15-Sep-2014 13:45

robjg63: You would pretty much need something on your internal network that is switched on all the time and reporting your IP address.
I dont see how you would get around that.

One thought which looks like some people have it working is to utilise an old/cheap android phone.

You have it on your home wireless network.
You can set up a wake on lan app that will wake up your PC (remember both the phone and the PC will be in the same network).

There looks like an automater app called 'tasker' that you can use so that you send a message from 'outside' to the 'inside' phone and it will send the WOL to your PC.

Found this: http://csabak.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/wake-up-pc-by-text-sms.html - might be worth a read....

Cost:
$4 for tasker app
$0 for the phone or (today - $22 Vodafone Galaxy pocket Neo at Harvey Norman)
A bit of credit on the phone.

thats quite a unique solution, i like it.

with dyndns in modems, i have found some to be pretty inflexible, often needing to support one modem with one service, and another with a different service. There are a few out there that allow you to add services, but thats rather few and far between unfortunately.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.