What is wrong with DDNS..

[ComputerSteve]

I am having a problem with DDNS, and i'm wondering if theres a way to fix it. The issue seems to be that sometimes randomly my DDNS through Asus asuscomm.com stops responding. I know that Asuscomm itself isn't down. I also see that the WAN IP didn't change. It's the actual hostname that isn't connecting. Then, if I wait like maybe a minute or so the hostname starts to respond again, and I did absolutely nothing. I also notice this when I try to connect to the vpn.. I toggle it a few times, and eventually it says connected. Why is it randomly not responding ? It seems to be something is blocking the connection but then it stops blocking it, and it responds. I have had this problem with even DuckDNS, & Afraid.org. I did think it was the actual DDNS provider at some point. It doesn't seem to be because it even did this randomly unresponsive behavior with them. This is also happening on another households router that I have setup (Different hostname through asuscomm.com). It just randomly stops responding, and then starts responding as it does with mine.

 

[cptnoblivious]

While the problem occurs, have you tried using nslookup to see what IP is being returned for the name you're using with asuscomm.com?
For me the first step is to see if name resolution returns the expected result (i.e. the IP you're actually using on the WAN).

 

[ComputerSteve]

While the problem occurs, have you tried using nslookup to see what IP is being returned for the name you're using with asuscomm.com?
For me the first step is to see if name resolution returns the expected result (i.e. the IP you're actually using on the WAN).

Yes it seems to be my IP.. Thats what i'm saying and then like two minutes later it responds lol thats what i'm not understanding ! Meaning my ip hasn't been changing !

 

[cptnoblivious]

Yes it seems to be my IP.. Thats what i'm saying and then like two minutes later it responds lol thats what i'm not understanding ! Meaning my ip hasn't been changing !

OK, if it returns the correct IP, then your issue is not DDNS. Your issue is once the VPN client tries to connect (for which it uses the IP returned by the DNS server). Name resolution is working.

 

[ComputerSteve]

Right but its everything, it isn't only vpn.. meaning I can't connect to the router homepage through the host name / I have opened the port up for Adguard home port 3000, and It stops responding so I can't access that web interface / & I can't access the VPN as you pointed out. Then I wait a few minutes, and it connects.. meaning everything starts working.

 

[ComputerSteve]

I will say the only thing that I forgot to mention is that I’m connecting to this hostname through my actual local network. So meaning I am not away from home.

 

[cptnoblivious]

Right but its everything, it isn't only vpn.. meaning I can't connect to the router homepage through the host name / I have opened the port up for Adguard home port 3000, and It stops responding so I can't access that web interface / & I can't access the VPN as you pointed out. Then I wait a few minutes, and it connects.. meaning everything starts working.

My point was mostly that your title isn't accurate and you'll likely get better results is you change it and provide all those additional details in your original post.

My suggestion is as follows.
1. a small diagram would help (if possible)
2. Update the original post with a clear list of both how you're testing, what your testing from and what's happening.
3. What's the behaviour you're expecting? What's actually happening? What have you eliminated as a problem?

One note: Don't use the DDNS name when you are _inside_ your network. It's pointing at the external IP, you don't want to try and connect there.
If you want to use local names, use the .local extension for the FQDNs and ensure your router is setup to use the .lan domain extension.
To see if you have name issues or IP issues, when you test test with the IP first to ensure the underlying functionality works, before using the name.
Go step by step, record results along the way, so that when others try to help you they can get a complete picture.

EDIT: don't use .local, use .lan (thanks @ColinTaylor for the correction!

 

[ComputerSteve]

My point was mostly that your title isn't accurate and you'll likely get better results is you change it and provide all those additional details in your original post.

My suggestion is as follows.
1. a small diagram would help (if possible)
2. Update the original post with a clear list of both how you're testing, what your testing from and what's happening.
3. What's the behaviour you're expecting? What's actually happening? What have you eliminated as a problem?

One note: Don't use the DDNS name when you are _inside_ your network. It's pointing at the external IP, you don't want to try and connect there.
If you want to use local names, use the .local extension for the FQDNs and ensure your router is setup to use the .local domain extension.
To see if you have name issues or IP issues, when you test test with the IP first to ensure the underlying functionality works, before using the name.
Go step by step, record results along the way, so that when others try to help you they can get a complete picture.

Is there a better way to use my DDNS name when I am inside my network because I use this to connect to a vpn profile I setup ? Also is that causing the issue ?

 

[ColinTaylor]

If you want to use local names, use the .local extension for the FQDNs and ensure your router is setup to use the .local domain extension.

Side note: Don't use .local as your local DNS domain name. That is a reserved name for mDNS use. Use something like home.lan instead.

 

[cptnoblivious]

Side note: Don't use .local as your local DNS domain name. That is a reserved name for mDNS use. Use something like home.lan instead.

Thank you for catching my error, I got that exactly backwards

I've corrected the original post.

 

[cptnoblivious]

Is there a better way to use my DDNS name when I am inside my network because I use this to connect to a vpn profile I setup ? Also is that causing the issue ?

Honestly, I'm lost as to what you're trying to accomplish, which is why I typed out detailed instructions so you can make it clear.

It sounds like from _inside_ your network you are trying to use the DDNS name to connect to the _external_ IP of your router to VPN _back_ into your original network. That makes no sense.

 

[ComputerSteve]

I don't understand what the confusion is ? I use Asus DDYN Dns Myhostname.asuscomm.com to connect to either Adguard home at TCP port 3000 or my vpn on on UDP port 1195 & 1194 as well as my home router on port 8443... I notice that for no reason the url Myhostname.asuscomm.com stops working. Then after about a few minutes if I try it again it starts working again. I changed nothing / & this is random. It could work for days and then randomly stop then start again. It has nothing to do with the IP of my wan because my IP isn't changing. I am just downloading the configs from the actual server pages "Export OpenVPN configuration file" & in those config files are my hostname. I am connecting to that on my local network. As I said it mostly connects perfectly but then it doesn't randomly and I don't know why.. Meaning everything on the host name just stops. I can't access the router / I cant access adguard / I can't access vpn.