Dynamic DNS

By Neil Caruana on December 28, 2025

What is DNS?

Every time you want to visit a website and type in a website address, or use a bookmark or a link, many things happen in the background that allow you to visit the website you want. Anything which is found "on the internet" is stored inside servers which are physically located somewhere in the World. A server is a fancy word for a computer and these computers may be anything from large installations inside data centres, to a single PC hosting some websites, like the one hosting the article you are reading now.

When looking for a website, what we need is to determine the IP address of the server that is hosting the website. The IP address is a numeric code, in your case: 216.73.216.169, consisting of 4 groups of numbers ranging from 0 to 255 (inclusive), each group separated by a decimal point. This is the physical address of the server hosting the website, and using this will get you to the required server. But remembering numbers is a highly inconvenient endeavour, and we prefer names – domain names – to refer to websites, eg www.daklinara.com (this website). The domain name is easy to remember, especially if it is meaningful, and acts just like anything else, for example, a favourite store, a pub, the gym – we usually refer to a place by name, not by its postal address.

How DNS Works

DNS operates like a phone book for the internet. When you type a domain name into your browser, your computer initiates a DNS lookup process that translates the domain into its corresponding IP address. Your computer first checks its local cache to see if it already knows the IP address for that domain. If not, it sends a request to a DNS resolver, typically provided by your Internet Service Provider.

The DNS resolver then queries a hierarchy of DNS servers, starting with root DNS servers, then Top-Level Domain (TLD) servers (like those managing .com or .org domains), and finally authoritative name servers that hold the actual IP address for the requested domain. This entire process happens in milliseconds, making web browsing seamless. Once the IP address is found, it's returned to your browser, which then connects to the server hosting the website.

What is Dynamic DNS (DDNS)?

Dynamic DNS is an extension of traditional DNS that automatically updates IP addresses associated with domain names in real time. While standard DNS works with static IP addresses that rarely change, DDNS is specifically designed for environments where IP addresses change periodically. This is particularly relevant for home internet connections, where Internet Service Providers typically assign dynamic IP addresses that can change at any time.

DDNS providers offer software client programs that automatically detect when your public IP address changes and immediately update the DNS records to reflect the new address. The client runs on a device in your network, connects to the DDNS provider using unique login credentials, and links your current public IP address with your chosen hostname. This ensures that your domain name always points to the correct IP address, even when it changes.