Author: Robert Devereux

Dynamic DNS

If you have a server attached to a business-class network, the server probably has a static IP address. This means that the network address the server uses does not change from one day to the next. You can easily create Custom DNS records pointing to static IP addresses and they do not require using Dynamic DNS.

However, computers connecting to the Internet through residential Internet service (home fiber, cable modem, DSL, or dial-up) can have dynamic IP addresses. When you connect, the provider assigns an IP address. It may be an address you have used before, or it may be a new IP address. Depending on your Internet service provider, the IP address could change after weeks, days, or even hours.

Dynamic DNS updates DNS records on our name servers within minutes of a change to your IP address. It works by running a simple client on your computer, which connects to us frequently. When we detect that your IP address has changed, we update your DNS records to match.

For a practical example, let’s say you want to access your home computer while you are at work. You set up Pair Domains Dynamic DNS. With Dynamic DNS, you can create a host name like yourserver.example.com. This host name will allow you to find your home server even if your IP address changes.

Using Dynamic DNS

To use Dynamic DNS, you need to be using our name servers. Any domain registered with us can use our name servers and Dynamic DNS at no extra cost.

If you are not already using our Custom DNS, please follow these steps to set it up:

  1. Log into the Domain Name Management System.
  2. Click the domain to update.
  3. If Custom DNS is already on, click Edit DNS.
    If Custom DNS is not on, click Use our DNS, and confirm changing the name servers.
  4. Add any records that won’t be updated with Dynamic DNS. You can add records individually, or you can import a DNS zone file with multiple records
  5. Click Enable Dynamic DNS.
  6. Read and agree to the Pair Domains Terms of Service and the Pair Domains Dynamic DNS Terms of Service.
  7. Click Enable Dynamic DNS.
  8. You will be given a  Dynamic DNS Key. You will need this later. It is a good idea to copy it and save it somewhere, but you can come back to this screen to get the key again later.

Finally, you will need to set up a client on your computer to contact us when your IP address changes. We provide a Web client:

  1. Go to: https://dynamicdns.pairdomains.com/
  2. Enter your Dynamic DNS Key and the hostname you want to update. If you want to update dynamic.example.com, you would enter it here, and click Continue.

    *Important* If you previously had a record set up in your Custom DNS for dynamic.example.com, it will now be over-written, and the old information will be lost.
  3. Read the next page, agree to the Terms of Service, and click Enable Dynamic DNS.
  4. Minimize your browser window and leave it running. As long as the window is open, your DNS will continue to update.

Other Dynamic DNS Clients

You can use other Dynamic DNS clients that support the dyndns2 protocol. When you set up your client, you can enter this information:

Username: pairdomains
Password: dynamic_dns_key
Alias or Host Name: the domain or sub-domain that you want to update
Dynamic DNS Server Name: dynamic.pairdomains.com
Dynamic DNS Server URL: /nic/update?
IP Server Name: myip.pairdomains.com /

The IP Server Name field might need to be entered as “Other Information” or “Other Settings” using this format: ip_server_name myip.pairdomains.com /

Please note: connections should be limited to every 5 minutes (300 seconds).

Direct URL

If you want to call a URL directly, this format will work:

https://pairdomains:dynamic_dns_key@dynamic.pairdomains.com/nic/update?hostname=hostname_to_update

ddclient

ddclient is a Perl based dynamic DNS client available from SourceForge. To run ddclient, you should create a configuration file named ddclient.conf. It should contain this information:

daemon=300 # check every 300 seconds
syslog=yes # log update msgs to syslog
pid=/var/run/ddclient.pid
ssl=yes
use=web,
web=https://myip.pairdomains.com/,
web-skip=’IP Address:’
protocol=dyndns2
server=dynamic.pairdomains.com
login=pairdomains
password=dynamic_dns_key
hostname_to_update

Before running it, make sure that there is a /var/cache directory on your computer. If you do not have one already, you can make one. Then this command can be used to run ddclient:

sudo /full/path/to/ddclient -daemon=0 -file /full/path/to/ddclient.conf

If you run into problems with ddclient, please run this command and send us the full output:

sudo /full/path/to/ddclient -debug -verbose -noquiet -daemon=0 -file /full/path/to/ddclient.conf

Router Software

DD-WRT software can be run directly on some routers. These settings should work:

DDNS Service: Custom DYNDNS
DYNDNS Server: dynamic.pairdomains.com
Username: pairdomains
Password: dynamic_dns_key
Hostname: hostname you want to update
URL: /nic/update?
Additional DDNS Options: –ip_server_name myip.pairdomains.com /
Use external ip check: no
Use SSL: yes
Force update interval:10

pfSense is an open source firewall/router computer software distribution based on FreeBSD. These settings should work:

Service Type: Custom
Username: [leave blank]
Password: [leave blank]
Update URL: https://pairdomains:dynamic_dns_key@dynamic.pairdomains.com/nic/update?hostname=hostname_to_update

Unifi Gateway

If you use Unifi Gateway, you can use this information in your configuration file

Service: custom
hostname = “hostname you want to update”
username = “pairdomains”
password = “dynamic_dns_key”
ddns-server = “dynamic.pairdomains.com/nic/update?hostname=hostname_to_update”

Pointing Domains to Other Providers

Some hosting providers give you name servers to use with your domain and some ask you to create DNS records. You can find instructions for changing name servers or for creating records for several popular providers below.

Is your provider not listed above? Are any instructions for providers out-of-date? Please contact us and we can help you update your domain, and we can add or update instructions on this page.

Pointing to Tumblr

Please follow these steps to point a domain to Tumblr:

  1. Log into the Domain Name Management System.
  2. Click the domain to update.
  3. If Custom DNS is already on, click Edit DNS.
    If Custom DNS is not on, click Use our DNS, and confirm changing the name servers.
  4. Click Add New Record.
  5. Select CNAME (Parking) from the Add New Record menu, enter this information, and select Add Record.

    Alias: www
    Points To: domains.tumblr.com
  6. Select A from the Add New Record menu, enter this information, and select Add Record.

    Host Name: @
    IP Address: 66.6.44.4

After completing the set up with us, some settings may need to be updated with Tumblr:

  1. Log into Tumblr.
  2. Select Customize.
  3. Under the Info settings, check the box to Use a custom domain name, enter your domain name, and select Save Changes.

Pointing to Squarespace

Please follow these steps to point a domain to Squarespace:

  1. Log into the Domain Name Management System.
  2. Click the domain to update.
  3. If Custom DNS is already on, click Edit DNS.
    If Custom DNS is not on, click Use our DNS, and confirm changing the name servers.
  4. Click Add New Record
  5. Select CNAME (Parking) from the Add New Record menu, enter this information, and select Add Record.
    .
    Alias: www
    Points To: ext-cust.squarespace.com
  6. Select CNAME (Parking) from the Add New Record menu, enter this information, and select Add Record.

    Alias: Enter the verification host name provided by Squarespace
    Points To: verify.squarespace.com
  7. Select A (Round Robin) from the Add New Record menu, enter this information, and select Add Record.

    Host Name: @
    IP Addresses: 198.49.23.144
    IP Addresses: 198.49.23.145
    IP Addresses: 198.185.159.144
    IP Addresses: 198.185.159.145

Pointing to Weebly.com

You can create websites with Weebly directly with us. However, if you created a site at Weebly.com, you can follow these steps to point a domain to a site with Weebly.com:

  1. Log into the Domain Name Management System.
  2. Click the domain to update.
  3. If Custom DNS is already on, click Edit DNS.
    If Custom DNS is not on, click Use our DNS, and confirm changing the name servers.
  4. Click Add New Record
  5. Select A from the Add New Record menu, enter this information, and select Add Record.

    Host Name: @
    IP Address: 199.34.228.59
  6. Select A from the Add New Record menu, enter this information, and select Add Record.

    Host Name: www
    IP Address: 199.34.228.59

Pointing to Bigcartel

Please follow these steps to point a domain to Bigcartel:

  1. Log into the Domain Name Management System.
  2. Click the domain to update.
  3. If Custom DNS is already on, click Edit DNS.
    If Custom DNS is not on, click Use our DNS, and confirm changing the name servers.
  4. Click Add New Record.
  5. Select CNAME (Parking) from the Add New Record menu, enter this information, and click Add Record.

    Alias: www
    Points To: yoursite.bigcartel.com (replace yoursite with the name of your site)
  6. Click Forwarding.
  7. Check the box Customize Sub-Domain Host, enter this information, and click Add Forwarding.

    Host Name: @
    Destination URL: www.example.com (replace example.com with your actual domain)

Pointing to Bandcamp

Please follow these steps to point a domain to Bandcamp:

  1. Log into the Domain Name Management System.
  2. Click the domain to update.
  3. If Custom DNS is already on, click Edit DNS.
    If Custom DNS is not on, click Use our DNS, and confirm changing the name servers.
  4. Click Add New Record.
  5. Select CNAME (Parking) from the Add New Record menu, enter this information, and click Add Record.

    Alias: www
    Points To: dom.bandcamp.com
  6. Select A from the Add New Record menu, enter this information, and click Add Record.

    Host Name: @
    IP Address: 75.126.76.138

Automatic Renewal

We can automatically renew your domains. If you choose to use this Automatic Renewal, you will need to save a credit card or debit card on your account. The renewal will be made 30 days before the domain expires.

If Automatic Renewal is enabled on a domain that expires in less than 30 days, the renewal will be made within 24 hours.

The default length of renewal with Automatic Renewal is one year, but you can set it to renew for one, two, three, four, or five years. The same renewal length will apply to all Automatic Renewals on your account.


Please follow these steps to set or change Automatic Renewal settings:

  1. Log into the Domain Name Management System.
  2. Select Account Settings from the drop-down navigation menu.
  3. Click Update Renewal.
  4. Select the domain(s) you want to automatically renew.
  5. Select the length of the renewal.
  6. Enter payment information.
  7. Click Update Settings.

We cannot cancel or refund an Automatic Renewal after it is completed. If you previously enabled Automatic Renewal and decide that you do not want to renew a domain, you must disable Automatic Renewal at least 31 days before the expiration date:

  1. Log into the Domain Name Management System.
  2. Select Account Settings from the drop-down navigation menu.
  3. Click Update Renewal.
  4. Uncheck the boxes for domains that you do not want to automatically renew.
  5. Click Update Settings.

Problems With Automatic Renewal

If your saved card expires before the renewal is completed, we will contact you ahead of time so that you can update the card.

We will contact you if the saved card is declined.

If you update the saved card or provide a new saved card more than 30 days before the expiration date, the renewal will be made 30 days before the expiration date. If the changes are made less than 30 days before a domain expires, the renewal will be made within 24 hours.

Email Options

You can receive email on your domain using our Email Forwarding service. We offer it at no extra cost. Forwarding will direct email to a mailbox or mailboxes that you already have.

If you need a small number of mailboxes on your domain, you can use Pair Mail Pro to add one, three, or five mailboxes. If you need more than five, we recommend using a Pair Networks web hosting account for email. The website can be hosted anywhere and the email can be handled on the account. Please see our Knowledge Base pages for these email options:

You can also use email through Google Workspace, Office 365, or any other email provider. 

Directing email to other providers can be handled by adding Custom DNS records. Please contact us if you need help finding the records or creating them.

Transferring Away

You can move your domain to a new hosting provider without transferring the registration. If you want to move the hosting while keeping the domain with us, your web host can provide name servers to use on your domain. After you have the name servers, you can follow these steps to update them:

  1. Log into the Domain Name Management System.
  2. Click the domain to update.
  3. Replace the current name servers with the new name server host names, and click Change NS.

If you want to transfer the registration away from Pair Domains, you will need to start the transfer with your new registrar. Before starting the transfer, please make sure that you have the Transfer Authorization Code and that you stop automatically rejecting outbound transfers:

  1. Log into the Domain Name Management System.
  2. Click the domain to update.
  3. Click Show Code.
  4. Save the code.
  5. Uncheck the box labeled Transfer Protection is ON, and click Update Protection. If you already see Transfer Protection is OFF, then you do not need to change the setting.

Please Note: If a domain currently uses DNSSEC on our name servers, DNSSEC should be disabled before transferring.

.UK Transfers

If you want to transfer a .uk registration away from us, you will need to know the Registrar Tag ID of the new registrar. Please contact the registrar to get the Tag ID. Once you have it, you can follow these steps:

  1. Log into the Domain Name Management System.
  2. Click the .uk domain to transfer.
  3. Click Transfer Away.
  4. Enter the Registrar Tag ID for your new registrar, and click Submit.

Please Note: Once you start a .uk transfer away, we cannot cancel it or stop it.