Dynamic DNS setting

Post your questions about SoftEther VPN software here. Please answer questions if you can afford.
Post Reply
MikeL
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:51 pm

Dynamic DNS setting

Post by MikeL » Tue Feb 12, 2019 3:44 pm

On the setup page for Dynamic DNS Function in SoftEther VPN Server Manager I changed the Dynamic DNS Hostname associated with my server to something that was more easily remembered. Let's say it was abcd.softether.net
For the past few weeks I have been able to connect from my softether clients using that hostname.
Early this morning the external IP address of the site where my Softether server is hosted was changed by the ISP. I can no longer login in using the abcd.softether.net hostname.

Now when I go to the Dynamic DNS function setup page on the server it shows a new DNS hostname of the form vpnxxxxxxxxx.softether,net and showing the new IPV4 global address. If I try to change the hostname assigned back to abcd.softether.net i get an error message saying saying that hostname is already in use. If I do a DNS query on abcd.softether.net it returns the old IP address associated with my server site.

This is not the way I would expect Dynamic DNS to work. Have I misunderstood something?

Thanks
Mike

MikeL
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:51 pm

Re: Dynamic DNS setting

Post by MikeL » Wed Feb 20, 2019 4:31 pm

I think I have figured out what happened here. The missing piece of information in my problem description was that after I set up my server with an alternative name for the DDNS entry I moved the softether server configuration to a new computer but at the same physical location. The Softether Server Service was stopped on the new computer when I replaced its configuration file from the older computer. What I think happens is the following:

1. When SE Server software was installed on the new computer (PC2)I set it up configuration wise in the same way that the older computer was set up. So it was given a default type of DDNS entry vpnXXXXX.softhether.net that entry was made in the DNS server and was linked to the current external IP address at that physical location (lets call it x.x.x.x).

2. The DDNS entry for the old computer was abcd.softher.net and was also linked to IP address x.x.x.x

3. When the server config file on the new computer was replaced with the config file from the old computer the DDNS entries were NOT changed at the DNS server even though viewing the DDNS set up page in the Server Manager it looked like it did.

4. When the ISP changed the IP address only the new computer was running and DDNS changed its entry (vpnXXXXX.softether.net) to link to the new IP address. The old DDNS entry abcd.softether.net was not updated because the old computer wasn't running.

I've given the new computer an updated DDNS name which I suspect will work properly the next time the IP address changes.

Post Reply