Westell router config issue to use DynDns.
jfoster81747
Enthusiast - Level 1

I want to use DynDns to manage my current hardware config as a static IP address. I have a westell 9100 router & it seems a mess to configure. Also I run Linux but that is NOT the issue. I've been messing with this for months & decided I need help. I,m by no means a router/network expert. The Westell setup instruction presupposes that I know more about networking than I do. I've read the entire **bleep** thing through & a lot of it simply is over my head.  I've asked both FIOS support & Westell for help & they are not willing to assist. FIOS says "they dont support Linux" & I'm used to hearing that, but they ONLY referred me to Westell tech support: Westell says they can NOT support individual customers for FIOS &  the buck keep flying... If I cant tget this resolved I'm going to drop FIOS all together & switch to CLEARWIRE as they will sell me residential static IP for $9.00 more per month & that is still cheaper than FIOS. Just not as fast. Sorry for ranting but I'm aggravated with the FIOS non-support folks. Seem to me they SHOULD be able to simply walk me through the config for a standard dns forwarded router config./...\ BTW: I need his for work reasons so that I can upload & download files directly to my home office server, & run remote apps that are too tedious to run from a wireless device or laptop.

John

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Re: Westell router config issue to use DynDns.
jumpin68ny
Master - Level 2

I don't have a westell router.  I wonder if the interface is the same on the actiontec or if its different.

So have you created a dynamic dns account at for example dyndns.com ???? They are free and all you need to do is create an account, define the dns name (such as myname.getmyip.com).  Then log into the router and configure the router with the username, password and host name that you created (myname.getmyip.com).  

You didn't say what you did or didn't do so hopefully the above is a starting point.  I use dyndns successfully on my actiontec router.

Re: Westell router config issue to use DynDns.
Mikhail
Enthusiast - Level 3

Well, it's pretty simple. Just one note before I start my explanation. Your IP address is going to be dynamic. Name you are going to chose with DynDNS is going to be static. This service allows you to change a special record in DNS servers that resolves name of your chioce to a specific IP address. Anytime router acquires different IP address it connects to DynDNS and provides info about new IP it gets. Since updating different DNS servers would take some time (up to hours in many cases) you should anticipate that form time to time you would not be able connect to your computer.

Ok, now step by step sinstruction:

1. Create an account with DynDNS.com. You can chose your name as 3rd level. Let say your computer is going to have name jfostercomp, then you could associate it with jfostercomp.endofinternet.net or jfostercomp.dyndns.org (there are much more choices), just remember the fully qualified domain name or FQDM. Let say it's "jfostercomp.endofinternet.net". You will need your login ID and password as well.

2. Login into your router and chose "Advanced".

3. Click on "New Dynamic DNS Entry" if you want to create new entry. Or chose existing one.

3. Click on Enable.

4. Provide your FQDN host name from bullet #1.

5. Chose WAN connection (not LAN!).

6. Provide your DynDNS.com User ID and Password on the first screen -- router should be able to connect to DynDNS.

7. At this moment do not check Wildcard, Backup MX, and offline.

8. You can try later to use SSL Mode other than None.

9. Click Apply button.

You should be set. Allow som time and check updates.  One way is to run nslookup command:

nslookup jfostercomp.endofinternet.net

it should return something similar to:

C:\>nslookup mikhaile.dyndns.org
Server:  Wireless_Broadband_Router.home
Address:  192.168.1.1

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:    mikhaile.dyndns.org
Address:  74.109.209.116

Re: Westell router config issue to use DynDns.
viafax999
Community Leader
Community Leader

@jfoster81747 wrote:

I want to use DynDns to manage my current hardware config as a static IP address. I have a westell 9100 router & it seems a mess to configure.  BTW: I need his for work reasons so that I can upload & download files directly to my home office server, & run remote apps that are too tedious to run from a wireless device or laptop.

John


You cannot run it as a STATIC address.  DynDNS is as the service says for Dynamic DNS dhcp addreses.

Go to to the dyndns site and sign up for a dyndns name - basically a static name is tied to an ip address that will be updated with the dhcp address when the router address changes, pretty infrequently anyway.

Go to router admin advanced and select Personal Domain Name

enter the dyndns name you created under host name

select broadband ethernet

select dyndns.org

enter the dyndns userid you created

enter the dyndns password you created

say OK

That's it

If you want to access your router externally in the future use the dyndns name that you created with any associated port needed.

Anytime the router ip address changes the dyndns client on the router will send the new ip address to the dydns server which will update your dyndns name pointer record.

If you don't trust the router to do it then you can add a client to an internal machine instead or in addition.