So, this is what I should have done over a year ago. Total out of pocket expense was $9.20 (compared to $32.95 with No-IP) and I control the source code for the dynamic DNS client.

  • Register a .net or .org domain with GoDaddy.com for US$8.95+US$0.25 ICANN fee.
  • Create an account at the free dynamic DNS hosting service, ZoneEdit. Once logged in, Add a Zone for the domain you just registered with GoDaddy.
  • Figure out your IP and tell ZoneEdit what it is through the "IP Addresses" section of the "Edit Zone" section.
  • Note the 2 DNS servers you are assigned by ZoneEdit for your Zone.
  • Once the IP is initially input, you can update ZoneEdit from a script that downloads a specified webpage any time your IP address changes. The ZoneEdit web server grabs your IP from the HTTP headers and updates your settings.
  • Go back to GoDaddy.com and login to your account.
  • On the "Domains" fly-out menu, choose "My Domain Names" to bring up the "Manage Domains" section.
  • Click the link for your domain name from the Filter Domain List.
  • Unlock the domain.
  • Click the link in the "NameServers Summary" to modify your DNS servers, and input the 2 ZoneEdit DNS servers.
  • In a few hours, everything will be updated and ZoneEdit will begin responding to DNS requests for your domain.

Here's the bash script, chipd, that keeps track of when my IP changes: 














ipsrc="http://192.168.1.1/advstat.htm"

waitstate="5m"

datefmt="%n%Y-%m-%d %T"

if ! [ -n "$myip" ];

then

  myip="127.0.0.1"

fi





date +"$datefmt"

echo "Starting $0..."

while [ -n "$myip" ]; do

  date +"$datefmt"

  echo "Grabbing current IP from $ipsrc..."

  newip=$(lynx -source $ipsrc | grep "<td class="s5">&nbsp;" | awk -F; '{print $2}' | awk -F< '{print $1}' | awk -F. '{if ($4 != "") { printf("%s.%s.%s.%s", $1, $2, $3, $4) }}')

  if [ "$newip" == "$myip" ];

  then

    date +"$datefmt"

    echo "IP hasn't change ($myip)..."

  else

    date +"$datefmt"

    echo "New IP detected (old=$myip, new=$newip), updating..."

    zedit

  fi

  myip="$newip"

  export myip

  sleep $waitstate

done

And the script, zedit, that pulls the ZoneEdit update page: 




lynx -source -auth=luser:passwd 'http://dynamic.zoneedit.com/auth/dynamic.html?host=zonename'