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General DNS & Domains Dyn Email Update Clients Dyn Developer

Hey,

I've just purchased a custom DNS service from DynDNS. My plan was to configure a subdomain of an existing domain within an Airport Extreme. The domain succont.de is not managed within Dnydns, *.labs.succont.de is supposed to be. The Airport Extreme should update the IP behind labs.succont.de.

If've followed the instructions at https://www.dyndns.com/services/dns/custom/howto.html to setup the configuration. labs.succont.de is my custom domain name. succont.de has five new NS entries for ns[1-5].mydyndns.org on the name labs. dig NS http://labs.succont.de give the following result:

http://labs.succont.de. 85169 IN NS http://ns1.mydyndns.org.
http://labs.succont.de. 85169 IN NS http://ns2.mydyndns.org.
http://labs.succont.de. 85169 IN NS http://ns3.mydyndns.org.
http://labs.succont.de. 85169 IN NS http://ns4.mydyndns.org.
http://labs.succont.de. 85169 IN NS http://ns5.mydyndns.org.

The DNS zone preferences tell me that everything seems to look file:

Current DNS delegation looks good. Your zone delegation will be periodically checked for errors in future automatically.

I continued to configure it like described at https://www.dyndns.com/support/kb/apple_airport_with_custom_dns.html. The result is this: http://cl.ly/b60484f2069a72c0fe68 (Screenshot)

The Airport Extreme is configured like this: http://cl.ly/d7210466d080493d5db5 (Schreenshot)

Overall the configuration seems to be pretty easy, and should work like this.

It doesn't. The IP for the host labs.succont.de does not get updated at all. I've looked into the protocols of the Airport Extreme and there is no error reported (there is no word about DNS at all).

While searching for a solution I found this thread: http://www.dyndnscommunity.com/questions/1087/apple-airport-does-not-create-global-dynamic-hostname-in-custom-dns-zone. When I try a reverse lookup lookup for my current IP (89.0.81.252) I get xdsl-89-0-81-252.netcologne.de. This is defined by my DSL provider, and can not be changed.

So, what am I missing here. Any help is much appreciated. I would be really unhappy to have bought a product that I cannot use at all.

Thank you very much for your time!
Tobias

Update: It seems not to me completely true that there is no error log entry. I discovered the following which might be related:

Aug 08 15:50:35 Gewichtung: 3 Wide-Area Bonjour error for "labs.succont.de." (-65537).

I found this thread: http://www.dyndnscommunity.com/questions/1064/apple-wide-area-bonjour-dns-service-discovery-and-support-for-airport-extreme-a/1475#1475, but the answer does not seem to help me.

Update 2: Looks like something changed and at least the update of the IP does work now – I did not change anything. I still have the error from the first update, and I assume Bonjour does not work as expected.

If someone else experiences my problem about not updated IPs, I've no clue how to help you, sorry. ;o)

Update 3: DNS updates do not work reliable. Still, I fear it might not be a Dnydns problem. Looks like the IP is updated once the Airport is restarted. When the IP changes, nothing seems to happen.

Maybe it would be nice to have a debug log somewhere in the account to see when a client has tried to update the IP.

This is all very disappointing.

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asked Aug 07 at 04:25 PM

Tobias\'s gravatar image

Tobias
21 1 1 7

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5 answers:

I think the error number has to do with it being unable to lookup the domain properly. I was running into this all day, and used my macbook to get a clue as to what was happening for me. I was using tcpdump and I saw that I could not resolve the SOA for my subdomain so the system was falling back to the parent domain and tried to lookup records there.

I thought this was a problem with my ISP so I enabled the internet guide on my account and adjusted the router settings and still no luck. I think the dns proxy on the AE does not recurse properly. However while messing with the settings I saw a dns query go by for the default domain of my ISP. I decided to change the domain name under the TCP/IP settings of my router to my subdomain and suddenly everything started working.

I dont know if this is just temporary at this time since I just got it working but hpefully this is a decent work around. I have a support ticket in, I sent it before this discovery, and maybe we can find a more permanent solution.

Now if they would only prevent the billion _airport._sub._adisk._tcp entries I think everything would be good.

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answered Aug 15 at 08:17 PM

xannor\'s gravatar image

xannor
31 2

As an alternative to using tcpdump, you can toggle verbose logging in mDNSResponder by sending it the USR1 signal and enable packet logging by sending it the USR2 signal. You can also flush it's cache by sending it a HUP. I find this an easier way of inferring what mDNSResponder is doing and why. For anyone reading who's not familiar with these terms, fire up Terminal.app and run:

sudo killall -USR1 mDNSResponder

sudo killall -USR2 mDNSResponder

tail -F /var/log/system.log

Aug 16 at 12:09 AM Andrew TJ

Formatting got eaten — the commands were "sudo killall -USR1 mDNSResponder", "sudo killall -USR2 mDNSResponder" and "tail -F /var/log/system.log". (Hit return to execute them.)

Aug 16 at 12:11 AM Andrew TJ

Would I need to try http://labs.succont.de or http://succont.de inside the domain name settings?

Aug 16 at 10:38 AM Tobias

I used the sigs also, but it was not very verbose for me. The tcpdump gave me better clue as to what was failing (thats how I saw that the SOA lookup on the subdomain was failing, and that the _dns-update query was going against the parent domain and not the sub.)

Aug 17 at 11:29 PM xannor
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Unfortunately error -65537 is an unknown error. It may be worth configuring a desktop Bonjour client (preferably OS X) to ensure all the requisites (zone, NAT-PMP/uPnP if the Airport isn't the gateway) are working correctly. If something's awry it'll be easier to debug and if it works fine you can then attack the Airport with vigour.

EDIT:

Just to fill in a gap I left: Behind a NAT, Bonjour uses NAT-PMP/uPnP for discovering the WAN IP. NAT-PMP has a mechanism for notifying clients of an address change and I assume uPnP (via IGD? not at all familiar with uPnP stack) does as well.

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answered Aug 09 at 12:09 AM

Andrew TJ\'s gravatar image

Andrew TJ
746 3 17

I've not some Macs inside the local network, and bonjour is working really fine there.

Aug 16 at 10:34 AM Tobias
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If you configure the Airport to use the hostname http://airport.labs.succont.de does it create the record?

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answered Aug 08 at 09:23 AM

Andrew TJ\'s gravatar image

Andrew TJ
746 3 17

Nope. Already had that idea and tried it. Does not seem to make any difference at all. Thanks anyway ;o)

Aug 08 at 01:45 PM Tobias

Do not respond with a comment. This has no reliable notification.

Aug 08 at 02:15 PM RotBlitz ♦
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Hi my Friend,

I have a Mac Mini with OS X Server witch is my web-server, that runs my sites (beautfully, fast and rock solid btw) and I too have an Airport + of course the ADSL2 Router from my provider (A Zyxel P-660 ... or there about :)

What I have found to be both most logical (for me at least) and hazzle-free, is to set up my network like this:

1: The Zyxel Router is connected to a 5-port Netgear Gigabit Switch. So now there is "raw" and "unprotected" internet available from the remaining 4 ports.

2: That totally "clean" internet from the Router, is connected from port 2 on the Switch, directly to my Mac Mini server (via Cat6 Ethernet Cable to assure reliability, always use Cat 6 when running Gigabit). See A, B and C below for security and setup!

3: And finally my Airport Extreme is connected to port 3 on the swith, and does nothing but provide secure and NAT'et access for my MacBook Pro, my iPhone and other wireless devices such as IP cameras and other stuff I only need to access from within my house and local net.

Ohh I forgot this! I have put my NAS (Synology DS210J - amaaaazing thing that caters totally to Mac-users incl. Time Machine backups! More here: http://bit.ly/9Lf24r ) on the Airports network port 1 too, so I can reach it from my wireless devices and MacBook Pro.

It does have extensive security settings + it's own firewall, so I'd be comfortable with IT being directly one the Router/Switch too, but as it's not wireless I put it on the Airport instead.

This setup makes for very hazzle-free serving of data and sites from the Mac Mini, as it bypasses the AirPort totally, thus avoiding the choice of NAT, Bridge or Nothing if you put it directly aftre the ADSL Router.

Now you have to do a few things to get proper security:

A: I run Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server, witch has a great firewall, that I can tune so nothing gets in or out, if I don't want it too.

B: On the Zyxel Router I NAT (or rather "Forward") ONLY the ports to the Mac Mini, that need to have total access from the outside, like port 80 for websites.

C: I Forward port 80 to the Minis IP-addresss and that makes it visible via a webbrowser from the outside, while FTP can't be accessed, ad I firewalled it out on OS X Server and don't forward port 21 to it's IP-address.

D: And the Zyxel (and many ADSL Routers( can handle DynDNS it self, so it's just setting it up in the router and then you domain is online served by your Mac :)

E: All this is very hazzle free, but you have to run all you machines with static IP-adresses and turn DHCP off. Well on the Zyxel at least you do, you may be able to DHCP your wireless Airport computers, but hey - no point - it's nice to know each device by it's IP I find, but I've also been a SysAdmin for years so I may be biased :)

Done this way, it should all work for you, but let me know if you need a diagram to understand how I set this up, or have other questions, OK?

Cheers, Thomas

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answered Aug 13 at 09:42 AM

tboelskifte\'s gravatar image

tboelskifte
1

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Do you know if I can have 1 domain name with DynDNS and then have multiple subdomains each pointing towards different apple airport devices?

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answered Aug 13 at 04:24 PM

user-3276 (google)\'s gravatar image

user-3276 (google)
1

It would be better if you created your own question. However, yes you can, as long as the total number of records does not exceed 75.

Aug 13 at 04:27 PM VikingTiger ♦
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