Dynamic DNS

A hostname that follows your IP address

Your home connection and your rented server both change address without warning. Claim a free hostname, point your router or server at it, and reach your machine by name instead of chasing numbers.

Letters, numbers, and hyphens. 3 characters or more.

Free: No card, no wallet, and no purchase. Claim a hostname and start using it.
One field: Paste the hostname and password into the Dynamic DNS screen your router already has.
DynDNS2: The standard protocol, so existing clients like ddclient and inadyn work unchanged.

Why you need it

When your address keeps moving

A static IP address is an extra line on the bill, and most connections never get one. Dynamic DNS gives you a name that keeps pointing at the right place.

Hosted servers without a static IP

Plenty of cheap VPS and cloud plans hand out an address that changes when the machine restarts or moves hosts. Point your deploy scripts, SSH config, and monitoring at one hostname and stop editing them every time the number changes.

Homelabs and self-hosting

Your provider can change your home address at any time. Reach a media server, a Pi, a NAS, or a game server by name, from anywhere, without paying for a business line.

Remote access that keeps working

SSH, VPN endpoints, camera feeds, and dashboards all need a stable address. A hostname that updates itself means the link you saved still works next month.

How it works

Three steps, then leave it alone

Your device tells us its address whenever it changes, and we update the DNS record within seconds.

1. Claim your hostname
Pick a name, sign in, and we issue a username and password for it. The password is shown once, so save it before closing the dialog.
2. Point your client at it
Enter the hostname and password in your router's Dynamic DNS settings, or run a client like ddclient on the machine itself.
3. Use the name, forget the address
Your client reports each new address automatically, and the record follows. Nothing to renew and nothing to remember.

Each set of credentials works for exactly one hostname, so a device that is lost or replaced can be cut off on its own without disturbing anything else.

What updates it

Use the client you already have

Anything that speaks DynDNS2 works. Most routers ship with it built in.

Your router's built-in updater

Look for Dynamic DNS, DDNS, or DynDNS in the admin panel. Choose a custom or DynDNS provider, then paste in the hostname and the credentials we issue. OpenWrt, pfSense, ASUS, and most consumer firmware all support it.

The Namefi CLI

For a server with no web interface, the Namefi CLI runs as a small background service, watches your address, and updates the record when it moves.

See the CLI

Questions

Before you claim one

The things people usually want to know.

Is it really free?

Yes. Claiming a hostname costs nothing, needs no card, and needs no crypto wallet. You only need an account so the hostname belongs to someone.

Will it work with my router?

If your router lists Dynamic DNS, DDNS, or DynDNS in its settings, yes. We speak the DynDNS2 protocol, which is what those screens expect. If there is no such screen, run a client on any machine on the network instead.

Do I own the hostname?

The hostname is yours to use for as long as you keep it. It sits under a domain Namefi owns, so it is not a domain you can transfer or sell. If you want a name you fully own, register a domain and use Dynamic DNS on that instead.

How many can I have?

A few at once, so there is enough for a router, a server, and a spare without the shared namespace filling up with names nobody uses. Release one and the slot returns.

Does it handle IPv6?

Yes. A hostname can carry an IPv4 address, an IPv6 address, or both, and your client decides what to report.

Claim your hostname

Pick a name, point your router at it, and stop chasing IP addresses.

Choose a hostname Manage your hostnames Read the docs

Dynamic DNS

A hostname that follows your IP address

Your home connection and your rented server both change address without warning. Claim a free hostname, point your router or server at it, and reach your machine by name instead of chasing numbers.

Letters, numbers, and hyphens. 3 characters or more.

Free: No card, no wallet, and no purchase. Claim a hostname and start using it.
One field: Paste the hostname and password into the Dynamic DNS screen your router already has.
DynDNS2: The standard protocol, so existing clients like ddclient and inadyn work unchanged.

Why you need it

When your address keeps moving

A static IP address is an extra line on the bill, and most connections never get one. Dynamic DNS gives you a name that keeps pointing at the right place.

Hosted servers without a static IP

Homelabs and self-hosting

Your provider can change your home address at any time. Reach a media server, a Pi, a NAS, or a game server by name, from anywhere, without paying for a business line.

Remote access that keeps working

SSH, VPN endpoints, camera feeds, and dashboards all need a stable address. A hostname that updates itself means the link you saved still works next month.

How it works

Three steps, then leave it alone

Your device tells us its address whenever it changes, and we update the DNS record within seconds.

1. Claim your hostname
Pick a name, sign in, and we issue a username and password for it. The password is shown once, so save it before closing the dialog.
2. Point your client at it
Enter the hostname and password in your router's Dynamic DNS settings, or run a client like ddclient on the machine itself.
3. Use the name, forget the address
Your client reports each new address automatically, and the record follows. Nothing to renew and nothing to remember.

Each set of credentials works for exactly one hostname, so a device that is lost or replaced can be cut off on its own without disturbing anything else.

What updates it

Use the client you already have

Anything that speaks DynDNS2 works. Most routers ship with it built in.

Your router's built-in updater

The Namefi CLI

For a server with no web interface, the Namefi CLI runs as a small background service, watches your address, and updates the record when it moves.

See the CLI

Questions

Before you claim one

The things people usually want to know.

Is it really free?

Yes. Claiming a hostname costs nothing, needs no card, and needs no crypto wallet. You only need an account so the hostname belongs to someone.

Will it work with my router?

Do I own the hostname?

How many can I have?

A few at once, so there is enough for a router, a server, and a spare without the shared namespace filling up with names nobody uses. Release one and the slot returns.

Does it handle IPv6?

Yes. A hostname can carry an IPv4 address, an IPv6 address, or both, and your client decides what to report.

Claim your hostname

Pick a name, point your router at it, and stop chasing IP addresses.

Choose a hostname Manage your hostnames Read the docs

When your address keeps moving

Hosted servers without a static IP

Homelabs and self-hosting

Remote access that keeps working

Three steps, then leave it alone

1. Claim your hostname

2. Point your client at it

3. Use the name, forget the address

Use the client you already have

Your router's built-in updater

The Namefi CLI

Before you claim one

Is it really free?

Will it work with my router?

Do I own the hostname?

How many can I have?

Does it handle IPv6?

Claim your hostname

When your address keeps moving

Hosted servers without a static IP

Homelabs and self-hosting

Remote access that keeps working

Three steps, then leave it alone

1. Claim your hostname

2. Point your client at it

3. Use the name, forget the address

Use the client you already have

Your router's built-in updater

The Namefi CLI

Before you claim one

Is it really free?

Will it work with my router?

Do I own the hostname?

How many can I have?

Does it handle IPv6?

Claim your hostname