How to Maintain a Connection to a Dynamic IP Address

Overview

Many a network connection gets lost when the ISP, telephone company or cable company periodically changes the network IP address. They do this to prevent users from hosting web sites or web services on their local computers, increasing traffic. Fortunately there is a way around this problem. It involves setting up a web address using a free DNS server. Instead of using an IP address, (ex 204.412.10.454) users then refer to a domain name (ex. mycompany.ath.cx) The next step is to download a small software application to place on your server that will keep this DNS listing up to date, even when your ISP changes the IP address.

Create an account at DynDNS.org

DynDNS.org
After entering a user name, password and email address, an account will be set up. You should recieve a confirmation email from DynDNS shortly.

Login to DynDNS.org

Click Services to begin

Click on Dynamic DNS

Click Get Started

Select a domain name

Enter your desired domain name and select from the popup list of available domain endings. Remember this domain name is likely for a small audience so the actual name is not that important.

Enter your current IP address

The system will automatically look up the IP address you are accessing it from. If you are not currently on the system to be accessed, another way to get the IP address is from www.whatismyipaddress.com. Have someone access this website from inside the network of the system you are setting this up for.

Finally, click 'Create Host' and you should be done.

Congratulations, a Dynamic host name has been created.

If you need to edit this host id, click the blue text of the name to change the settings.

Modify Hostname

From here you can change the targetted IP address or delete the hostname altogether.

Download and install a DynDNS Update Client to run on your server

The URL to use for this download is https://www.dyndns.com/support/clients/. Select the update client for your platform, Mac, Windows or Linux.

Download Update Client

Double click downloaded application

Drag DynDNS Update to your Applications folder

then launch the application.

Setup DNS Update client

Enter your user name and password to the dyndns.org website

Note that this program runs as a daemon. That is, it will boot up when the computer is turned on, without showing any kind of user interface. In general, you should not have to make any changes, it should just run in the background, keeping the DynDNS server up to date on the local IP address.

Enter Domain Name

Enter host name

Log Viewer

Review logs

Over time, the log file will give you an indication as to how often the dynamic IP address is being updated.

FileMaker Implications - Database to Database

See other PDF on logging in remotely to FileMaker, basically FileMaker client server access.

Sometimes, you need to have two FileMaker database talk to each other. This is what this bit is about.

To make changes to FileMaker's External Data Sources, you need access to the Manage: External Data Sources.

Add a New Data Sources

Click the New button

Creating a New Data Source

Enter a name and then reference your remote FileMaker database.