Is it possible to have Dynamic DNS without a "DHCP" "SERVER"

I currently run DHCP of the router, because when I have setup DHCP server (even windows) the DHCP does not seem to make it over the WiFi, the LAN connected PCs get IPs, but not the WiFi connected ones.

If yes, how?

If no,

Then is there a way to make my linux and windows PCs register by running a script or something that goes out the assigned DNS server and registers its name & IP?


The only other alternate I can think of is to assign static IPs to the laptops Wifi profile, so that on wired connection, they use DHCP, but on WIFI, they have a static IP. And manually enter A records for the WiFI static IPs in DNS.

This is a home network, total of 6-8 clients on the network at any given time.

The reason I need DNS is so that my backup server using backupPC can resolve hosts by name.

Thanks!

This should not be a problem.

Your wireless hub/router needs to be configured to not give out addresses, but rather to pass through so that your DHCP server gets the requests and answers them. The wireless device itself then gets it's address from the DHCP server as well.

Post the details of what you have and how you have it configured.

Someone will jump in and advise.

And you don't need static addresses for BackupPC at all. There is an option for each host to be static or DHCP. If DHCP is checked, you just have to specify what the DHCP pool of addresses is, and BackupPC will find the hosts that way.

Peace,
JimBass

choogendyk,

Well the router is not very configurable... It is a Dlink KR1 for EV-DO connections.
http://www.evdoinfo.com/images/kr1/kr1_front.jpg
http://www.evdoinfo.com/images/kr1/kr1_back.jpg

I can turn off DHCP, but I still have been unable to have the DHCP pass through. (in the past)

JIm,

I have the backuppc up and running... i done a bit of cheating in the the 1st test client is listed in the servers hosts file. So host name resolves, I can manually SSH to the client from the server... But manually kicking off a back on that client fails:

File /srv/backuppc/pc/csrhplt01/XferLOG.bad.z

Contents of file /srv/backuppc/pc/csrhplt01/XferLOG.bad.z, modified 2008-02-07 21:29:41

full backup started for directory /data/share
Running: /usr/bin/ssh -q -x -l root csrhplt01 /usr/bin/rsync --server --sender --numeric-ids --perms --owner --group -D --links --hard-links --times --block-size=2048 --rsh=ssh --recursive --ignore-times . /data/share/
Xfer PIDs are now 3977
Got remote protocol 1881173838
Fatal error (bad version): No protocol specified

Can't write 4 bytes to socket
fileListReceive() failed
Done: 0 files, 0 bytes
Got fatal error during xfer (fileListReceive failed)
Backup aborted by user signal
Not saving this as a partial backup since it has fewer files than the prior one (got 0 and 0 files versus 0)


If you want me to start a separate thread i can do that as well...

Thanks!!

You should start a separate thread for the BackupPC issue, but I think that looks like rsync isn't installed on the client.

Peace,
JimBass

I presume you have the user guide: http://evdomanuals.com/wp-content/up...de_english.pdf

For one that costs that much, it doesn't seem as straight forward configurable as some of the less expensive ones (for example, my Linksys WRT54G). However, if I had it to play with, I might try turning off the DHCP and then changing it's IP address to fit in with the range you are doing with the router you've set up on your wired network. Might work.

I have used a couple of different configurations. I have an Apple Airport Extreme. I used to have it set up as the DHCP server, connected directly to the cable modem, and passing out addresses both over the wireless and wired connections. Then I got VOIP. The Linksys VOIP box that Earthlink sent me needed to be connected directly to the cable modem and wanted to be in charge for QOS reasons. So, I reconnected things so that the Airport Extreme connected to it, and the wired hub went to it. Then reconfigured the Airport Extreme to pass through and to get its IP from the VOIP box. The WRT54G was for my daughter's apartment. Had to get that working with a Comcast cable connection and a Windows PC that expected to be direct connected. Ended up cloning the PC's MAC address.

If I understand your question, yes, there are a number of free services that do this. One is dyndns.org, which is well supported by router firmware such as DD-WRT or OpenWRT.

Nope, not looking to update internet DNS, just to the local DNS server. (for local host resolution)

Let me put it this way.

I currently have DNS running on suse10.3, but it will only resolve local PC names if I manually enter A & PTR records for the host....

I suppose I could lengthen the IP leases from the DHCP on the router... so that its very unlikely that a PCs IP will change.

Or Im thinking some sort of script to run an nsupdate at boot or login.... but thats a whole nother challenge

That is the wrong way to go about a ddns setup in a LAN. You don't want each individual machine "reporting in" its address. The right way to do that is to shut DHCP off on the router, and install DHCP on the linux box that is also the DNS. Then you follow this guide:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/...ll_with_NetBSD

In particular, you want the part about exchanging updates between DNS and DHCP.

Peace,
JimBass

OK,

I don't think I am being understood here:

1. All I want is dynamic DNS for the local LAN. I am not hosting anything via internet. (1 subnet)

Issue #1 - when I take the DHCP off the router, and move it the an actual server. My wireless clients are unable to obtain and IP from said server. And my router is not configurable in such a way to allow DHCP passthrough. And I am stuck with is as I have to use an EV-DO router, no cable, DSL, or FIOS available at my location. (talk about computer drama!)


I think my best idea to date is this:

1. Setup DHCP & DNS for LAN (WIRED) PCs. (up to 9 mixed OS clients at any 1 time)

2. Set the wireless profile on the laptops to have static IPs & DNS server entries.
(ofcoarse using address outside the scope of the LAN DHCP settings.)

3. Manually enter the A & PTR records on DNS server for the WLAN clients.(4-5 clients)

Seems viable to me?

I don't see where your concern with the number of subnets comes into play. DHCP can be configured for 1 subnet, 3, 13, or 254 if the need arises. The directions I linked to would be the same if it is one client on a LAN ddns setup or 10,000 on 9999 different subnets on the public internet.

You could make the server a wireless AP as well if you wanted to. The info on doing that is here:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/...s_Access_Point

You can't expect your DHCP clients to keep the same addresses forever. At some point in time, they won't be able to renew their lease when the wireless goes out. Or your home will lose power in a storm, and all will come back on and renew their licenses at once, and what used to be 192.168.1.15 is now 192.168.1.19. Nothing tragic, but they just won't "stay" forever. If something like that happens, and you have DDNS and DHCP integrated, than no matter what, everything can be found and used automatically. Under the setup I've posted, you wouldn't even know when something changed IP addresses, because you could still see everything by name.

Peace,
JimBass