Custom DDNS vs Drop Down List for Same Provider

[lokester]

Please excuse if some of my terminology is incorrect. Have been using Merlin on AC3100 for several years, with DDNS enabled selecting "Custom", providing the "dnns-start" script as directed and using Crontab for periodic updates (registered my domain at Afraid.org). Been working as needed for many years. I have MQTT Broker running on a RasPi and a year or so added TLS/CA support via LetsEncrypt. All TLS/CA related stuff is stored on the RasPi, private keys public key and certs. All working well. Router forwards port to RasPi.

Recently had to swap AC3100 routers and basically reconfig from the start. Using a newer version of Merlin, when I got to the WAN-->>DDNS setup page, I noticed where the DropDown box now included "FREEDNS.AFRAID.ORG" so I selected it (instead of Custom), entered my Domain Name, Username, and PW and clicked Apply. Then, not sure if it pre-populated the bottom section Webgui SSL Certificate as a result of me hitting Apply for the top section, or if I did it,

External access to my MQTT Broker is still working, but I see on the DDNS page where FREEDNS.AFRAID.ORG still shows "Free trial"
I am also having an issue there the RasPi can no longer send out an e-mail via EXIM4 due to TLS not validating.

I have since went back and changed DDNS back to Custom, added the script and cron job. Set Webgui SSL to NONE, but the certificate info still populates the screen. Did not fix my Raspi Email issue.

SO MY QUESTIONS are:
1. Should I have stuck with using the older "Custom" way of implementing DDNS or did I do the right thing of selecting the same provider FREEDNS.AFRAID.ORG from the drop down and simply entering my login info since that option is now available?
2. Did doing so add any "certs/keys/etc" to my router that were not there before? If so, how do I use them? The Exim4 log now implies that I am now broadcasting something TLS related, like maybe I am wanting to do a handshake, but not providing the key?

 

[lukehjo]

1. Both methods, using Custom DDNS settings and selecting FREEDNS.AFRAID.ORG from the dropdown, should work fine as long as you correctly input your domain, username, and password. The dropdown option simply offers a convenient preset for commonly used DDNS providers. If you were previously using the Custom option and it was working well for you, there's no harm in sticking with it. However, selecting the provider from the dropdown should also work, provided you entered the correct credentials.

2. When you changed the DDNS settings, it's possible that the router automatically configured SSL settings. However, if you reverted back to Custom DDNS settings and set Webui SSL to None, the certificate information should not populate the screen anymore.

2.5. Check the configuration of Exim4 on your Raspberry Pi to ensure it's configured to use the correct TLS settings, including the paths to the certificates and keys. If you think that the router's SSL settings might be interfering, you can try disabling SSL/TLS settings on the router temporarily to see if it resolves the issue with Exim4. Make sure that Exim4 is configured to use TLS correctly, including providing the necessary certificates and keys for authentication if required.

Both methods of setting up DDNS should work, but it's important to ensure that all related settings are configured correctly.

 

[lokester]

@lukehjo, thanks for the reply. As you can tell, this whole SSL/TLS key and cert thing is confusing to me, but that is not a Merlin issue. I guess the "Free Trial" text still displaying after I entered my credentials for the FREEDDNS.AFRAID.ORG dropdown made me think I had gone down the wrong path. Is it really just a "trial" after I have been using it for several years?

My posted need was ambiguous, but I believe you have addressed it well.

 

[lukehjo]

@lukehjo, thanks for the reply. As you can tell, this whole SSL/TLS key and cert thing is confusing to me, but that is not a Merlin issue. I guess the "Free Trial" text still displaying after I entered my credentials for the FREEDDNS.AFRAID.ORG dropdown made me think I had gone down the wrong path. Is it really just a "trial" after I have been using it for several years?

My posted need was ambiguous, but I believe you have addressed it well.

Lovely.