Frequently Asked Questions
From time to time we get asked questions about the service and how it works. These are some
of the most frequently asked questions we receive along with their respective answers. If there
is something that you feel is missing from this FAQ, please contact an
administrator at admin@dtdns.com.
General Questions
Home Users
ISPs and Web Hosts
General Questions
What is DNS?
DNS stands for the "Domain Name System." It is the protocol on the Internet that takes a name,
such as "www.dtdns.com" and translates it into the IP address of the computer that actually
holds the service you are trying to access. Since computers deal in numbers, and humans deal
with easy to remember names, DNS is an essential building block on the Internet. Every domain
name must have DNS entries in order to be used by the Internet at large.
What IS Dynamic DNS?
Dynamic DNS is simply a way of attaching a static hostname to a dynamic IP address. On the
Internet, there are a limited number of IP addresses. When you connect to your ISP, you are
assigned a temporary IP address that other computers use to find you while you are connected.
Once you disconnect, that IP address is given to someone else, and so on. If you are trying to
operate a gaming server, personal web server, or any other service that requires other computers
to be able to find you, they need to know what your IP address is. This is not easy if your IP
address is dynamic, like most people's are, because you will have to keep telling everyone what
your current IP address is (comparable to changing your phone number every day).
With a dynamic DNS service, like DtDNS, you can get a static name to attach to that
ever-changing IP address. Now, you just give out your static hostname instead of your IP
address, and only tell the service what your IP address is. This way everyone will be able to
find you quickly when you are online. For more information, see the
Dynamic DNS Primer at
Technopagan.
Is DtDNS secure?
Yes. We use SSL encryption throughout our web site to ensure a secure experience for our
customers.
Can this technology be used on my full domain name?
Yes. DtDNS fully supports dynamic (and static) DNS services on full domain names in addition to
our dynamic hostname services.
What DNS server are you running?
DtDNS is powered by the BIND DNS server, the de-facto standard for DNS resolution on the Internet.
What are some web/ftp/mail server software packages to get me started?
As with anything, you need the right tools for the right job. Internet technology is no
different. Below is a list of some popular software packages* to get
you started...
Web Servers -
X5,
Apache HTTPD,
Microsoft IIS
FTP Servers -
Serv-U,
BulletProof FTP Server
E-Mail Servers -
MDaemon,
modusMail
Server Suites -
InstantServers,
LiteServe
* DtDNS is not affiliated with the authors of these packages, and does not
endore or provide support for them. This list was compiled from personal experience and user
suggestions.
Can I have more than one dynamic IP address within a full domain name?
Currently there is only one dynamic IP address variable available within a domain name. This
variables can be used to update as many hosts within the domain you like. However, if you have
two computers and would like some hosts to point to one computer, and the remaining hosts to
point to the second computer, you will need to create a free hostname (you.darktech.org, etc) and
use CNAME records to alias it. Our support team will be more than happy to assist in this type
of configuration. We are working on a better solution, but this workaround should work for most
people in the mean time.
I downloaded DynSite to handle my automated updated, how do I configure it?
We have put together a tutorial
to demonstrate the configuration of a hostname or domain name when using DynSite. This will give you
a general idea of how to configure other clients as well.
My port 80 is blocked, how do I redirect my web site to another port?
Follow this procedure:
- Create a new A Record called 'www2' and point it at ~ip~ in the Domain Manager.
- Set the existing 'www' record to the iP address 0.0.0.0 (offline).
- In the Offline Handler, set to redirect to a URL and use http://www2.yourdomain.com:port.
Once complete it may take ten to 15 minutes for the network to pick up the changes.
Some other port is blocked, how do I get around it.
You can't. Port 80 (standard http requests) can be redirected because of a feature of the HTTP
protocol. Other ports (such as FTP and IRC) cannot be redirected by default. E-Mail can be
redirected if you purchase
e-mail routing or forwarding from a third party provider.
Home Users
Can I run services on my personal cable or DSL line using DtDNS?
Yes and no. DtDNS is not concerned with the type of connection you are using to operate services,
only the content. It is, however, against the acceptable use policies of many cable and DSL
providers to operate such services on a personal connection. Check with your provider for their
specific policies.
Can I run a warez server using a DtDNS hostname?
No. Our Terms of Service
outline exactly what you can and cannot run in association with a DtDNS hostname. We will disable
any account we find running such services without notice.
Can I run an adult web site using a domain hosted on DtDNS?
DtDNS does not have a problem hosting adult-related domain names, so long as all applicable laws
are being followed regarding its operation.
When I'm in IRC chat, is there any way to make my DtDNS hostname appear instead of the
ugly hostname that my ISP has assigned me (reverse lookups)?
No. DtDNS only provides forward host to address mappings. In order for DtDNS to provide reverse
lookup capabilities, it would require a lot of work for your ISP. Even if they could do this for
you, they wouldn't anyway.
What domain names are available for me to get a hostname on?
We have several domains available for hostnames. They are:
- 3d-game.com
- 4irc.com
- b0ne.com
- bbsindex.com
- chatnook.com
- darktech.org
- deaftone.com
- dtdns.net
- effers.com
- etowns.net
- etowns.org
- flnet.org
- gotgeeks.com
- scieron.com
- slyip.com
- slyip.net
- suroot.com
I am running behind a NAT router and my internal IP address is getting assigned to my hostname
(or domain name), what am I doing wrong?
Since you are behind a NAT router, there are two things you need to do:
- Configure the update application you are using to NOT send an IP address with the update
request. This will cause the update server to use the origin IP address assigned by your
internet provider. If they are also having you go through a transparent proxy server, you can
send the update on port 8080 instead of the standard 80 to get around this.
- Configure your NAT router to forward incoming connections to the correct internal IP addresses
on the ports you would like to accept connections on (80, 21, etc).
How can I tell if my ISP is blocking my ports?
There is a free utility published by TZO that will help you figure this out. It is called
PortDetective, and you can find it at
www.portdetective.com.
I have a Belkin router and a full domain name, but they require three-part domains?
Most Belkin routers now have support for the DtDNS update API. Their configuration is designed to
handle our free hostnames which would require three parts (hostname, domain, tld), but most domains
only contain two parts (domain, tld). To facilitate two part domain names in their update client,
you may enter anything in the first part and the domain and tld in the other fields. This would mean
that if your domain name is "example.com" you would enter "anything" in the first field, "example" in
the second field, then "com" in the third field. The update system will ignore the "anything" portion
and update the domain name's base IP address.
ISPs and Web Hosts
Are the DNS servers separated from each other?
Yes. DtDNS maintains the primary server at the datacenter managed by
Hostway in Tampa, FL. The secondary
nameserver is currently located at SoftLayer
Technologies in Seattle, WA. Our third DNS server is located at
SoftLayer Technologies in Dallas, TX.
Does DtDNS offer bulk pricing for multiple domain names?
Yes. See our pricing page for more information.
Can I use DtDNS to manage all the domains for our customers?
Certainly! We have many customers who have placed all of their customer domains on our
nameservers. This has helped them reduce their own bandwidth requirements, in addition to
eliminating a single point of failure.
I want my own domain name to appear in the delegations. Can this be done?
Maybe. Most registrar will allow you to register your own DNS servers (using your own domain name)
and specify our IP addresses as part of that registration process. The current IP addresses are always
published on the support page, and we will
send e-mail notifications to all domain users when any of these IP addresses is changed (which happens
from time to time as we find better or more cost effective service providers). DtDNS no longer offers
the "Custom Nameserver Branding" service with dedicated IP addresses at each of our locations as a
result of this policy change at the registrars.
