How to configure a DDNS service in AirPort?

The only option available for configuring an AirPort base station for DDNS is on the Internet > Internet Options page of the AirPort Utility. Here you would enter the DDNS-provider hostname and your user account and password info. Note: Be sure to select the 'Use dynamic global hostname' option to enable it.

One important consideration. The AirPort base stations do NOT support a built-in DDNS client. That is, in order for your DDNS-provider to be provided with dynamic WAN-side IP address changes from your ISP you will need to run a DDNS client on one of your network computers. Note: Most DDNS-providers offer Mac, Windows, & Linux-based clients.

If you need for this feature to be provided by your router, you will need to switch to another router manufacturer that support this function.

The most common use for DDNS is when you have a network resource that you want to access from the Internet AND that your ISP provides you with a dynamic WAN-side IP address. Most consumer-grade Internet service is provided with a dynamic IP address.

So after a couple of hours of playing around and testing I've finally found the correct settings to achieve this, I wasn't able to find the configuration options through the Windows Airport Utility client but borrow a MacBook Air from a family member and was able to find it:

1. Open the AirPort Utility on a Mac computer.

2. Click on your AirPort Device, then click "Edit".

3. Select the "Internet" tab.

4. Now in the "Domain Name" section type "yourhostname.ddns.net" or it could be "yourhostname.no-ip.com" or whatever other hostname No-IP.com may have assigned you.

5. Now click the "Internet Options" button.

6. At the bottom of the windows that opened tick the check box "Use dynamic global hostname"

7. In the "Hostname" section fill it with "no-ip.ddns"

8. In the "User" & "Password" sections fill it with the username and password that you chose when creating your "No-IP.com" account.

9. Now click "Save" which will save the settings and click "Update" to update the Airport device which will also restart it.

And you're done!

Please note that it does sometimes take up to 5 to 10 minutes to update the DNS settings to No-IP.com, which caused me to think it wasn't working initially.

Good luck!

Hi josephallix -

Your steps are well documented and I'm encouraged by your declaration of success! I do have two questions:

a) did your HOST already exist at No-IP.com?

b) On #7 you wrote [In the "Hostname" section fill it with "no-ip.ddns"] -- Is that a typo or accident? {no-ip.ddns} does not seem to be a recognizable format. Did you mean to type "no-ip.com" or perhaps "ddns.net"?

I am testing some alternatives now to see what I come up with. Looking forward to getting a working solution with my Airport Extreme!

Thanks for your well presented info! And to think you just wrote this up this morning!?!

Hi jmiller2523,

To answer your questions:

a) All I have from No-IP.com is a free DDNS service. When signing up for this free service you are asked to pick a free host name, mine is "myhostname.ddns.net".

b) Good question, I can't actually confirm at this point whether this entry is even necessary, I just happened to have this filled in at the time of my success. I found this address in a screenshot of what I believe was a "WD MyCloud NAS" device configuration page in a drop down list of pre set DDNS services. I do admit the address looks a bit funny and after you pointing it out, I've tried looking it up and pinging it with no luck. So there is a very good chance it isn't needed but doesn't seem to do any harm at least.

I actually signed up to Apple Discussion just so I could post what I found as I spent hours looking and couldn't find anything to help 🙂

I hope I've been able to answer your questions correctly, otherwise please let me know.

I am also facing this problem.

I am using Airport Extreme(7.6.4) & i registered in ChageIP.com for dynamic DNS service.

I was configured all info in Airport Utility & restarted. But it was not updated (latest IP) in ChangeIP.com site.

Can you tell me what i was wrong

Hi LED Lightning,

I'm sorry to say that mine actually stopped working too. I ended up having to use this guide to have my WD MyBook Live Duo to do the updating which seems to be working quite well:

http://mybookworld.wikidot.com/forum/t-747940/can-t-enable-no-ip-on-wd-mybook-li ve

If you have any other devices like NAS drives on your network a lot of them actually support a DDNS feature by default.

Sorry for the lost hope 🙂

Not Working for me . I did update in my TC80211ac and didn't work .

maybe this tutorial will help you out, but you need a duiadns account:

https://www.duiadns.net/running-duiadns-on-apple-router

Thanks for the link pliviu. These duiadns plans are (a) no longer free and (b) in Euros. While not killer problems, I'm curious if anyone has instructions for other dynamic DNS services, either free or accepting USD.

You're welcome. Did you find a free alternative to work with your apple airport router?