Redirection Service Configuration

      • Overview

        • The information on this page is designed to help people obtain a free permanent Palace address that has a name, instead of a numeric Palace address. Internet addresses generally fall into two catagories:

        Static - A Static address is one that stays the same each time you connect to the internet
        Dynamic - A Dynamic address is one that changes each time you connect to the internet

        People who use a regular dialup account to connect to the Internet usually have a dynamic IP address, which means that the numeric IP address changes every time a new Internet session is started. People who have cable modems or DSL often (but not always) have a static IP address. Some Internet Service Providers offer a static IP address as an extra charge feature for a small monthly fee. The information on this page can be used to derive the benefits of a static IP address without having to pay for one.

        A redirection service, also known as a Dynamic DNS service, can offer people with a dynamic IP address who run a Palace server a way to have a permanent Palace address with a name, such as mypalace.homeip.net. Those with a static address don't have the problem of having an address that changes all the time, but they might also want a Palace address with a name, which makes the address of their Palace easier for visitors to remember. The information and instructions on this page apply to a free service called Dynamic Network Services, Inc. which is one of many available services.

      • Account Creation (Only needs to be done once)

        1. To set up a new account, go to:
          http://www.dyndns.org/account/create.html
          (You may see the Acceptable Use Policy. Read it and put a check next to "I have read and agree to the Acceptable Use Policy above" to proceed.)
        2. Enter a unique Username.
        3. Enter your email address twice.
        4. Enter an account password twice, and click the "Create Account" button.
        5. If the username you selected isn't already in use, you will see a page that says Account Created. If the username you selected is already in use, you will be prompted to try a different username. Directions for activating your account will be emailed to you immediately. You will be asked to visit a URL to confirm that you created the account within 48 hours. This must be done before you can log in, and it only needs to be done once.

      • Account Setup (Only needs to be done once)

        1. To set up your account, go to:
          https://www.dyndns.org/account/login.html
        2. Enter your Username and Password, and log in
        3. Click on "Account Setup" in the left margin
        4. Click on "Add Host", which will appear next to "Dynamic DNS" in the section called "Your Hosts & Zones"
        5. Your numeric IP should already be filled in. Enter a Hostname, and select a suffix from the choices offered (dyndns.org, homeip.net, dnsalias.com, and many others), and click the "Add Host" button. You should now be able to enter your Palace using the name you selected. For example, if you picked the Hostname fantasy, and the suffix homeip.net, then you can access your Palace at fantasy.homeip.net

      • Using Your Account On The Web

        There are two ways to use your account. You can use it over the web, and manually update the NIC database on a web page every time your numeric IP changes, or you can download client software that will report your dynamic IP to the NIC database automatically when you logon to the internet.

        The web based procedure:

        1. Each time your numeric IP address changes, go to:
          https://www.dyndns.org/account/login.html
        2. Enter your Username and Password, and log in
        3. Click on "Account Setup" in the left margin
        4. Click on "Dynamic DNS" in the section called "Your Hosts & Zones"
        5. Click on your hostname in the section called "Your Hosts"
        6. Your numeric IP will already appear in the IP Address field. Just click the "Modify Host" button, and you're done

        The above process takes less than 30 seconds once you get used to it. Even though this can be done quickly, it is even more convenient to use a client that will automatically update your IP address when you logon to the internet.

      • Using Your Account With A Client

        Clients are offered for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Unix platforms. They have all been developed by third parties, and while dyndns.org doesn't specifically recommend or guarantee their functionality, there is a rating system in the client listings for each platform, accessible from the Client Information Page so you can get an idea of how people felt about the performance of different clients when they tried them.

        The client that was tested is DeeEnEs, (version 2.3.26) which is reportedly compatible with Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP. There is no traditional installer for this program. You download a 50K .zip file, and it contains one item, which is DeeEnEs.exe. Make a directory called DeeEnEs in C:\Program Files, put DeeEnEs.exe in it, and launch the program by double-clicking on DeeEnEs.exe.

        When launching the program for the first time, you are presented with a "DeeEnEs Accounts" panel. Near the top is an entry called "Server", which has a pull-down menu that includes DynDNS.org, homeip.net, mine.nu, dnsalias.net, and several other domain names available from the DynDNS.org redirection service. After selecting the right Server for your account, enter your HOSTNAME, USERNAME and PASSWORD in the appropriate fields. With most new accounts, the USERNAME and the HOSTNAME are the same. If you're not sure what your HOSTNAME is, enter your USERNAME in the Hostname field, enter it again in the Username field, and enter your PASSWORD in the Password field. Then click the "Add" button, and then click OK.

        The "DeeEnEs Accounts" panel will vanish, and the "DeeEnEs Properties" panel will appear. By default, the "Start automatically" box is selected. Leave this selected if you want DeeEnEs to start automatically when you start your computer. In the IP detection field, select Modem if you are using a dialup account, and select LAN if you are using DSL or a cable modem. Then click OK.

        At this point, DeeEnEs will automatically update your IP address with the redirection service, and minimize to your system tray. As long as DeeEnEs is running, it will automatically detect when you log onto the internet, and update your IP address. You can tell if it is running by checking the System Tray, and look for the icon that looks like a globe of the earth. When no internet connection is present, the globe icon will be grey. When an internet connection is present, the icon will be in color. For those who want to see what the program is doing, double-clicking on the globe icon will display the DeeEnEs Update Log, where you can see you current IP address. By right-clicking on the globe icon, the Accounts panel, the Properties panel, and other functions of the application can be accessed.

        Note to AOL users, or users on a Home Network: If the DeeEnEs client isn't working for you, and you have an AOL connection or a Home Network that typically doesn't display your actual numeric IP address in the server's log window, right-click on the globe icon in the System Tray, and select Properties. In the "IP Detection" field, select "Web based" in the pull-down menu. In the "Interface" field, select "Palacio-cristal", and then click OK. Your IP address will now be detected from the web, and checked to see if it needs to be updated every 10 minutes by default. You can change how frequently it checks to see if an update is needed in the "Check every" field.

      • Previously Reviewed Client

        This page used to contain instrustions on yiPost and PostPro, which are clients for reporting to redirection services that were created by www.kvtek.com. These clients were tested, but are temporarily unavailable from their creator, who is actively seeking someone to take over his site. Anyone who already has one of those programs and would like to read the instructions that used to be on this page can click here to review that data.

      • Additional Information Regarding Static IP Addresses

        A static IP address is a numeric IP address that does not change. Typically, cable modems and DSL connections have static IP addresses, as do some dialup accounts. Those with a static IP address do not have the problem of a having a Palace address that constantly changes, but they may still want to use a redirection service to have a domain name that is themed to their Palace. One thing to be aware of is that with a static IP address, your account will never need updating, but if 35 days transpire and you don't update the database, your account will expire. Expiration times may vary at other redirection services. From the dyndns FAQ:

          Q: How often can/should I update my hostname?

          A: A Dynamic DNS hostname only needs to be updated when your IP address has changed. Any updates more frequently than this - from the same IP address - will be considered abusive by the update system and may result in your hostname becoming blocked. Any script which runs periodically should check to make sure that the IP has actually changed before making an update, or the host will become blocked. An exception to this is for users with mostly static IP addresses; you may update 24-35 days after your previous update with the same IP address to "touch" the record and prevent it from expiring. Users will receive an e-mail notification if a host has been unchanged for 33 days, hosts are deleted after 35 days of idle time.

        The feature list for the DeeEnEs client indicates that one of its features is:

          Will automatically force an update if your IP address hasn't changed for a month to prevent your accounts from getting deleted.

        Although this particular feature wasn't tested as part of this review, there are advantages to using a client even if you have a static IP address.

      • What To Do If Your Account Is Blocked

        Excessive use of the Update Button on the client, or repeatedly using the web based interface to update your account when your numeric IP hasn't changed can be construed as account abuse by dyndns.org, and can result in your account being automatically blocked. If the display on the client fails to update your account and contains the word "abuse" this may be what happened. DynDNS.org Support offers this advice: If your host has become blocked for update abuse, please proceed to the appropriate service section for your host. From there you will find a link allowing you to request that your host be unblocked. Hosts which remain blocked for abuse for a period of 7 days or more are automatically deleted from their system. If this happens, the host can simply be re-created, but they recommend that you should re-examine your update procedure to ensure that abusive updates do not occur in the future.

      • Additional DynDNS.org Support Channels

        If additional support is needed, try the DynDNS.org Support website, or the comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions page. You can use the Contact Support page for additional assistance.

      • Windows Server Configuration

        Once an account with a redirection service has been established, the Palace server will need to be configured to use this new data. This page will discuss how to update the Pserver.prefs file to use the newly created address, and also discusses Ports and numeric IP addresses:

        Windows Server Pserver.prefs Configuration

      • Summary

        Other redirection services and clients may have more or less options, or be considered better or worse for various reasons. This isn't meant as an advertisement for any particular free service or client, but is just a collection of comments about what seems to be working well for me, in case it might also work well for others.

      • Additional Resources

        • List of Redirection Services
        • Selection of Redirection Service Clients
        • Windows Server Pserver.prefs Configuration

        © 2004