03-11-2012, 12:03 AM

Does anyone know of a dynamic DNS client that works with Namecheap.com?

Thanks!

03-11-2012, 12:18 AM

ddclient should work
How to configure DDClient? (Dynamic DNS)
ddclient is available through macports

03-11-2012, 12:26 AM

Haha, thanks for the quick reply.

I already had installed this and have been trying it. I didn't get it from MacPorts. Instead I got it directly from https://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/ddclient and followed the configuration steps on there.

I had tried this as my config file before:
## NameCheap (namecheap.com)
##
daemon=300
protocol=namecheap
server=dynamicdns.park-your-domain.com
login=ABC (username I login with at namecheap.com)
password=XYZ (the password that the Namecheap.com Dynamic DNS gave me)
news.adashw.com

I didn't see that (How to configure DDClient? (Dynamic DNS)) link before. So this is what I have now in my config file:
## NameCheap (namecheap.com)
##
protocol=namecheap
server=dynamicdns.park-your-domain.com
login=adashw.com
password=XYZ (the password that the Namecheap.com Dynamic DNS gave me)
news

However it's still not working.

03-11-2012, 11:21 AM

You are going to have to define not working.

Do you know if the DNS updated to your dynamic IP?

What isn't working? Are you trying to serve a webpage or a service? Did you port forward the proper ports to the proper server?

03-12-2012, 01:01 AM

Originally Posted by IvanLasston

You are going to have to define not working.

Do you know if the DNS updated to your dynamic IP?

What isn't working? Are you trying to serve a webpage or a service? Did you port forward the proper ports to the proper server?

Alright,

I re-run the ddclient in terminal with the updated config file. I then wait for it to update my ip on the Namecheap server. It should update my sub-domain's IP in my Namecheap All Host Records. Take a look at this demo video by Namecheap.com: Demo: Setting up DynamicDNS

In my All Host Records, it's still showing 127.0.0.1, my localhost. It's not updating to my web ip.

I am trying to serve my mac mini which I am running a http (port 8080), smb (445), afp (548), and vnc (5900).

I am behind a network for which I have no access to manipulate the port forwarding. The gateway/router, however, does allow for access for such access; but only if it's called upon at a frequent interval (say every 30 seconds compared to 15 minutes).

03-12-2012, 09:28 PM

If you cannot control the port forwarding your efforts will be for naught. I am not sure what you mean by it allows access for such access - with frequent intervals. I don't know every gateway/router out there but most require you to specifically say which computer gets which port. I've not seen this on demand port forward with consumer routers - and I'd be surprised if a enterprise router would allow it.

After configuring ddclient did you start the daemon?
ddclient

You can run ddclient as "/usr/sbin/ddclient -daemon 300 -syslog" and put it in your startup scripts. There are samples of startup scripts provided with ddclient.

There is some debug info on that page - did you try that?

03-13-2012, 12:40 AM

Originally Posted by IvanLasston

If you cannot control the port forwarding your efforts will be for naught. I am not sure what you mean by it allows access for such access - with frequent intervals. I don't know every gateway/router out there but most require you to specifically say which computer gets which port. I've not seen this on demand port forward with consumer routers - and I'd be surprised if a enterprise router would allow it.

I don't know how or why, but my university's routers/gateways allow for it but it must called upon a fairly frequent interval otherwise it will be lost to nothing/another computer requesting that IP. In some bizarre way, it works.

I was also able to, somewhat, get ddclient to work with Namecheap.com. It's weird and not completely doing what it should but it's good enough for now until I can figure out what's going on.

Basically, I had to go to my Namecheap.com All Host Records and manually enter in my web IP for my computer behind the network. It worked, but if my web IP were to change...I'm not sure if I'd have to go in to my All Hosts Records and manually enter it again or if the ddclient will automatically do that for me. I still haven't tested that out yet.

03-13-2012, 12:58 AM

That works but it isn't dynamic dns. That is just putting in the current IP. I've gotten ddclient to work with namecheap but I have full control of my router. You probably need to ask your university IT what all it would take to get this to work.

03-13-2012, 01:18 AM

Originally Posted by IvanLasston

That works but it isn't dynamic dns. That is just putting in the current IP.

Correect.

Originally Posted by IvanLasston

I've gotten ddclient to work with namecheap but I have full control of my router.

Can you post your process and your ddclient.config file (minus your secret password of course)?

03-13-2012, 11:45 AM

From the very beginning
Install Macports
The MacPorts Project -- Home

sudo port install ddclient

sudo vi /opt/local/etc/ddclient/ddclient.conf

The above code will open a vi editor with a new file

Put this code in it modifying it accordingly

daemon=300
syslog=yes
mail=root
mail-failure=root
cache=/tmp/ddclient.cache
ssl=yes
pid=/opt/local/var/run/ddclient.pid #This is where macports runs ddclient
use=web, web=checkip.dyndns.com/, web-skip='IP Address' #this is probably the key piece that wasn't in the info before
protocol=namecheap
server=dynamicdns.park-your-domain.com
login=<your domain registered at namecheap>
password=<the password that namecheap gives you>
mycomputer #This is from your video example but I did it just to double check

I did find that a post saying that ssl=yes didn't work for them - but I kept it in my setup and it updated.

You should be able to see in /var/log/syslog a SUCCESS updating mycomputer - the code below in a terminal will show you system.log as it updates

tail -F /var/log/system.log &

start ddclient

sudo port load ddclient

Your video that you posted for setting up namecheap is how I setup the namecheap stuff - exactly. The only part that deviates is the client.

I know port forwarding works as I use it with a free dns server. I didn't set that up for this - and as I said If it works for you great - but I would be surprised if it did.

04-09-2012, 04:41 AM

Originally Posted by IvanLasston

I did find that a post saying that ssl=yes didn't work for them - but I kept it in my setup and it updated.

It worked!! Thanks Ivan!!