DDNS switches to second client

[ddrahos 0]

Hi there,

I currently have a DDNS address assigned to a client device (labelled Server), it works great, and in the port configuration the device selected is Server. None of my ports are assigned to other client devices, they are all for Server.

However when I connect with another client (Phone or Laptop), the DDNS address propagates that new device's VPN server's IP to DNS servers instead of Server's.

This occurs even though the AirVPN tool says that the DDNS is assigned to the Server device profile. See attached screenshot.

I wanna stress that it's a CLI server with one config file, so I haven't mixed up config files or anything.

It will revert sometime after I disconnect from that client but it is annoying when I use another client, it breaks the DDNS for Server by swapping to that VPN server's IP.

Is this the intended functionality? Have I done something wrong? Or is this a known limitation?

[OpenSourcerer 1435]

2 hours ago, ddrahos said:

Is this the intended functionality? Have I done something wrong? Or is this a known limitation?

Well, known limitation. DNS doesn't know the concept of user keys/certs. To eliminate the element of suprise for the user when multiple sessions and therefore multiple records exist (so you sometimes reach your host, and sometimes you don't), to make it predictable the record always points to the latest session.

The easier way around that is to use another DDNS service like nsupdate.info (which is open source) updated by some DDNS client configured to report the remote IP via HTTP using the tun interface.

[SurprisedItWorks 49]

Staff, if you are listening...

Rather than associate a DDNS domain name to a forwarded port, which is pro forma only and has no associated technical action, why not replace that port association with an optional DDNS domain name for each device on the Devices page.  The last connection associated with a given device could get the associated DDNS entry.  This would solve the OP's problem and would certainly make DDNS a lot more tempting for a lot of us.

[Flx 76]

15 hours ago, ddrahos said:

I wanna stress that it's a CLI server

What type of server is it?

15 hours ago, ddrahos said:

This occurs even though the AirVPN tool says that the DDNS is assigned to the Server device

What sort of script/command did you run to ensure packets/data will be correctly channeled/sent over the assigned IP over the port forwarded?
Tend to agree with Mr. @SurprisedItWorks suggestion.
Then you will have a ddns.ddns1.airdns.org:1254 and no more need to "segment" from client-side.

[Staff 9972]

19 hours ago, SurprisedItWorks said:

Staff, if you are listening...

Rather than associate a DDNS domain name to a forwarded port, which is pro forma only and has no associated technical action, why not replace that port association with an optional DDNS domain name for each device on the Devices page.  The last connection associated with a given device could get the associated DDNS entry.  This would solve the OP's problem and would certainly make DDNS a lot more tempting for a lot of us.

Hello!

It's already implemented, and even in a more flexible way. Since a few months ago linking a name to a specific port is no more pro-forma only, provided that you have multiple "devices" and you configure different ports to link to different "devices".

You can link the port to a specific "device", and a specific DDNS to one or multiple ports. In this way you have an even more flexible and comfortable system. For each device, each name of yours will resolve into the exit-IP address of the last VPN server to which you connect through that specific "device". In the port panel just select the "device" you want for that port, provided that the port is enabled. You can do so in the combo box just under the enable/disable toggle.

If  you use the same "device" on multiple devices which connect at the same time, and/or you have your remotely forwarded ports configured to "all devices", you will experience the behavior reported by @ddrahos , i.e. you will fall back to the a behavior which allows full backward compatibility with the previous system.

Kind regards

 

[ddrahos 0]

4 hours ago, Staff said:

If  you use the same "device" on multiple devices which connect at the same time, and/or you have your remotely forwarded ports configured to "all devices", you will experience the behavior reported by @ddrahos , i.e. you will fall back to the a behavior which allows full backward compatibility with the previous system.
 

Okay... but I do have different profiles on each device (Server, Phone, Laptop) and no ports are assigned to all devices, all just to Server.

I can accept that DDNS has limitations but this response just raises more questions than answers.

[Staff 9972]

@ddrahos

Hello!

For clarity's sake we now replace "device" word with client "certificate". You do have different client certificates but you have all the sixteen ports linked to a single certificate named "Server", so all of your *.airdns.org names will always resolve into the exit-IP address of the last VPN server the devices using the "Servers" certificate  connect to. If you wish that a different name resolves into a different IP address, let the 2nd device use a different certificate, and link to that certificate the set of ports that the 2nd device needs. This gives you the freedom to have different names, each one resolving correctly to the proper exit-IP address of the VPN server you want, at the small price of dividing ports for each device.

Feel free to elaborate about which other questions the new system raises, we'll try to answer if possible.

Kind regards
 

[BKK20 0]

@Staff
Is it possible to use different VPN server simultaneously while the DDNS name is linked to one specific device?
e.g.
Device: A
DDNS: abc.airdns.org
Port: 123456

Online Connection:
Device A = Netherland Server
Device B = German Server

Is DDNS in this example still working? Or is not working because of two active vpn connections from different vpn servers?