{{keywords>freebsd,unix,dynamic,dns,noip,no-ip,update,service,configuration,no-ip2}}
====== Configuring Dynamic DNS Updates for No-IP ======

===== Environment =====

  * FreeBSD 13.1
  * Dynamic IP address
  * No-IP account

===== Required Ports =====

  * ''dns/noip''

===== Overview =====

If you don't have your own domain then contacting your computer remotely can be difficult. A common solution is to use a dynamic DNS service such as [[https://www.noip.com/|No-IP]]. This way you can always connect to your machine using the same hostname e.g. **myserver.noip.me**. This works by running a service on your computer that will check your external IP at a chosen interval. If it has changed then a message is sent to No-IP advising them, and the new IP address for **myserver.noip.me** is updated.

Even if you have your own domain, it is useful to use a service like No-IP as a backup.

===== Installation =====

If you haven't already created an account on No-IP, and set up at least one hostname, then head over to their [[https://www.noip.com/sign-up|sign-up page]] first before you install the port.

Then install ''dns/noip'' either from [[https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/ports/#pkgng-intro|packages]] or build it from the [[https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/ports/#ports-using|ports]] collection.

===== Configuration =====

Run the following command to set up No-IP with your login and hostname details. I recommend you set the interval between external IP checks to 5 minutes in order to avoid long periods of time when your host is inaccessible.

  # /usr/local/bin/noip2 -C
  
Next we change the ownership of the **no-ip2.conf** configuration file to the new **noip** user as it is currently owned by **root**, and the permissions are set to **600** (read/write by owner only).

  # chown noip /usr/local/etc/no-ip2.conf
  
Now we add the noip service to **/etc/rc.conf** so that it starts every time the computer boots.

  # service noip enable
  
And finally we start the service.

  # service noip start