What is Dynamic DNS?

Whether you realize it or not, your computer might at this very moment be changing its Internet address. It's true. Some computers have what are called changing IP addresses. This isn't necessarily a problem, unless your website doesn't change along with that IP address.

In order to avoid this problem, you need Dynamic DNS. This stands for Dynamic Domain Name System, and it is the solution to a vexing problem that many people are not aware of. Using Dynamic DNS, you can maintain a website or a web server and not worry that others may suddenly be unable to access it.

When you connect to the Internet, your Internet Service Provider assigns a temporary IP address that lasts until you disconnect. If, during your Internet session, you happen to update your website, the IP address of your website will change. The resulting situation is a problem for computers that aren't equipped to track your website when its IP address changes.

Since your website is probably some sort of http configuration of letters rather than numbers, you likely won't notice that anything has changed. Dynamic DNS takes care of that by changing your website's IP address correspondingly, to keep up with your connectivity changes. In a sense, the numbers change but the letters never do. This eliminates the need for the person who wants to view your website to type in the exact numbers of the IP address. Your name address will do.

Dynamic DNS is available for Web users large and small. Personal users have just one or a handful of uses for Dynamic DNS. Large companies have multiple needs and require larger amounts of equipment and/or software. Some of the largest companies using Dynamic DNS are Internet Service Providers themselves.

Many companies make a living by providing Dynamic DNS to Web users everywhere. This Dynamic DNS can take the form of hardware or software. Hardware includes routers and other networking equipment. These pieces of networking equipment routinely have Dynamic DNS built into their firmware.