web-nsupdate

web-nsupdate is a handy tool for updating dynamic DNS through the web. It’s designed to make it easy for clients to send updates whenever they change IP addresses. This is super useful, especially for devices like Linux systems that act as gateways for home internet connections.

How Does It Work?

The web-nsupdate package allows your device to send a straightforward web request using commands like wget or lynx. This request lets the web-nsupdate service know that your device needs to register its new host information.

System Requirements

This package works well on servers with these Debian packages:

• bind9 (ver 9.2.4-1)


• apache2 (ver 2.0.54-5)


• php4 (ver 4.3.10-16)

A Word of Caution

Configuring BIND for dynamic DNS can be tricky! You'll need to set this up for web-nsupdate to function properly. I recommend checking out the dnssec-keygen(8) and nsupdate(8) man pages first so you understand what you're getting into.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

1. Copy the web-nsupdate files to a folder, like "/usr/local/lib/web-nsupdate". You can choose another location, just remember to update the instructions accordingly.




2. Create a TSIG key that web-nsupdate will use for authentication with your DNS server.




3. Please keep this key safe! Anyone with access can modify DNS records managed by web-nsupdate.




4. Create your definitions file using the sample provided and secure it from prying eyes.




5. You’ll also want to ensure that the path in nsupdate.php points correctly to nsupdate-defs.php.




6. Add a symlink of the update script into your website directory.




7. Create a new named.keys file containing your TSIG key.




8. Add this keys file where your named.conf lives, making sure it's protected from unauthorized access.




9. Add an include line in your named.conf: include "named.keys";




10. Edit named.conf to allow updates from specific hosts you want registered through [web-nsupdate].




11. You can test if everything's working by visiting the installed nsupdate.php script in your browser and submitting an entry!