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DynDNS ends free services

linktracking.dyn.com

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Re: DynDNS ends free services

#41

Post by tracker1 »

dewey wrote: post #4

Alternatives I switched to a while ago: - https://freedns.afraid.org/ - https://ydns.eu/ What I like about these two is that you are able to update the IP by just curl'ing a certain URL, which works great in combination with a cronjob. Edit: It looks like OP submitted the tracking URL from the newsletter, his ID is probably going to stick out in their analytics.

+1 for freedns.afraid.org ... you can use one of the existing/open entries, you can put up your own domain for yours and others' use (did this for bbs.io, though I nuke entries that aren't bbs related), or you can pay for private use of your own domain. Works great overall.

Re: DynDNS ends free services

#42

Post by tracker1 »

zdw wrote: post #21
TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #2

I feel sorry for those people who have routers that only have built-in support for DynDNS. :(

I feel sorry for people whose routers aren't running OpenWRT, PFSense, or some other easily upgradable modern firmware that's free of backdoors.

I'm using OpenWRT on my routerstation pro for my business connection, and an asus router with a TomatoUSB variant at home. Lots of options.

Re: DynDNS ends free services

#43

Post by unreal37 »

pacificmint wrote: post #32
emptybits wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What hostility or ridiculousness did you see? I've been on Dyn forever, as a free user to keep a host entry for one remote, nonprofit dynamic-IP server. Starting exactly a year ago, once per month they sent me an email with a link I'd click to keep my free hostname(s) active. Seemed reasonable.

They were one of those services that would repeatedly make the free service worse, in an attempt to get you to upgrade. At first they changed it so you need to touch your account once every 30 days to keep it active. Using the automated updater counted as touching it. Then they changed it where the automated updater didn't count anymore, so now you needed to log in manually every 30 days. Once I didn't get their emai…

Agreed. I guess they were trying to boot people out gradually, without causing a fuss. But that means many of their free customers lost their domains as a surprise, instead of moving to another service intentionally.

Re: DynDNS ends free services

#44

Post by GBond »

cookiecaper wrote: post #11

dyndns has been getting progressively more hostile to free users for years. I thought it was ridiculous years ago when I switched to no-ip.org, I'm surprised that anyone has held on this long.

My memory may be deceiving me but I recall the founder of DynDNS posted in the HN comments on his reasoning of taking outside money and shifting the biz model after initial growth via bootstrapping. Hopefully someone else recalls and links the HN page.

Re: DynDNS ends free services

#45

Post by NoPiece »

unreal37 wrote: post #28
emptybits wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What hostility or ridiculousness did you see? I've been on Dyn forever, as a free user to keep a host entry for one remote, nonprofit dynamic-IP server. Starting exactly a year ago, once per month they sent me an email with a link I'd click to keep my free hostname(s) active. Seemed reasonable.

I used to be on EasyDNS and they got acquired by DynDNS many years back. They really have been trying to kick off the free users for a long time. Anyone who's hung on til now is a survivor. They dropped from 5 free hostnames to 2, in 2010. And they have been enforcing this "log into your account monthly" since at least that time. Not 1 year, but at least 4 years or more. That's how I lost my free hostname - because I…

They also removed a bunch of domains from their free tier a few years ago. This may help them drive some revenue in the short term, but long term I it is going to make customer acquisition a lot harder. I just switched over to no-ip.com...

Re: DynDNS ends free services

#46

Post by 8ig8 »

chrisfarms wrote: post #24
bits wrote: post #5

What DNS hosting providers can you recommend? Preferably with an API or other means to programmatically make changes to zones. Bonus points for SRV and TXT records support.

We've been using dnsmadeeasy[1] for years. There's something dated about their interface/presentation, but the service has been rock solid and fast since day one. [1] http://www.dnsmadeeasy.com

Came here to say the same. DNSMadeEasy doesn't feel _fancy_, but it has always worked great for us. Solid service. Highly recommended.

Edit: Not that it matters much, but it was Textdrive's (née Joyant) recommendation back in '04 that got me to sign up. If anything, they've been around a while.

https://web.archive.org/web/20060427025139/http://forum.text...

Re: DynDNS ends free services

#47

Post by dchuk »

unreal37 wrote: post #28
emptybits wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What hostility or ridiculousness did you see? I've been on Dyn forever, as a free user to keep a host entry for one remote, nonprofit dynamic-IP server. Starting exactly a year ago, once per month they sent me an email with a link I'd click to keep my free hostname(s) active. Seemed reasonable.

I used to be on EasyDNS and they got acquired by DynDNS many years back. They really have been trying to kick off the free users for a long time. Anyone who's hung on til now is a survivor. They dropped from 5 free hostnames to 2, in 2010. And they have been enforcing this "log into your account monthly" since at least that time. Not 1 year, but at least 4 years or more. That's how I lost my free hostname - because I…

What exactly do you expect from a free service? Seems like they're doing more than enough to accommodate you, a user who makes them nothing while costing them something.

Re: DynDNS ends free services

#48

Post by chrissnell »

Rackspace offers DNS with all cloud accounts and doesn't charge for it. As far as I know, you can sign up for a cloud account and not actually purchase any services, though I would probably put some files in Cloud Files so you're at least paying them something to keep the account around. You can update your records via their API or via their control panel and there are no per-change or per-domain fees.

You're getting professionally-run DNS servers, distributed with anycast.

Re: DynDNS ends free services

#49

Post by throwaway156 »

dewey wrote: post #4

Alternatives I switched to a while ago: - https://freedns.afraid.org/ - https://ydns.eu/ What I like about these two is that you are able to update the IP by just curl'ing a certain URL, which works great in combination with a cronjob. Edit: It looks like OP submitted the tracking URL from the newsletter, his ID is probably going to stick out in their analytics.

Another +1 for freedns.afraid.org. I used them for years on my home FreeBSD gateway serving my domain on a dynamic IP, and didn't once have an issue. I think I only emailed the owner once or twice about some small matter, but he responded both times politely and quickly. For a free service, pretty impressive. Highly worth supplying a donation I would say if you use it.

Re: DynDNS ends free services

#50

Post by tracker1 »

bbunix wrote: post #37

Inevitable... moved off DynDNS earlier this year in favor of Amazon's Route53. DNS bills went down 99%... and Amazon has been great.

What have your bills looked like, if you don't mind my asking? I've been running a VM server on a business cable connection, but thinking on getting rid of that in favor of a few cloud/hosted systems, and virtual DNS.
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