[nylug-talk] URL redirect

[David Rosenstrauch]

If you don't mind spending $25 a year, you can use a service like this:

http://www.dyndns.com/services/dns/custom/

In a nutshell, it lets you associate your domain name with a dynamic IP 
address.  The way it works is:

1) you tell the registrar to use the dynamic dns service provider's DNS 
server for your domain.  This will cause anyone accessing your site to 
use the dynamic service provider's dns servers when looking up your IP.

2) you run a small daemon app call a "dynamic DNS update client" (see: 
http://www.dyndns.com/support/clients/) on your server which monitors 
your dynamic IP address to see when it changes.  When it does, the 
client goes and updates the dynamic dns server's records accordingly.


Result is that the service's DNS keeps pointing your domain name to your 
dynamic IP address - even if it changes.


There's several services that do this:  zoneedit, dyndns, probably 
others too.  Both of the ones I mentioned are supposed to be solid from 
what I've heard.

I've used DynDNS personally for years now and I can vouch for them with 
the ultimate compliment - I don't even know they're there.  They've been 
completely "set it and forget it" for me.

HTH,

DR


Paul Robbins wrote:
> I know isn't quite a Linux question (though the webserver is running on
> Linux), but I thought maybe someone would be able to help me out.
> 
> My firewall at home also has a small webserver running on it. I mainly just
> use it to keep family updated about stuff going on with me.  I purchased a
> website from GoDaddy, let's call it www.example.com.  I have
> www.example.comforwarding to my webserver at home.  It is RoadRunner,
> so it is a dynamic IP
> address. The flavor of Linux I am running (ClarkConnect) gives me a hostname
> (example.pointclark.net).  So I just redirect www.example.com to resolve to
> example.pointclark.net.
> 
> The problem is that I either have to change the URL that displays to
> example.pointclark.net or mask the URL. If I mask it, it displays
> www.example.com no matter where the user navigates (subpages on the site).
> Also, I am not sure that google will crawl the www.example.com site if all
> it does it redirect to a different URL.  Is there a way to set up
> www.example.com as my box at home and give me all of the usefulness that
> comes with it?  Do I have to get a static IP address to accomplish this?
> 
> Thanks for the help.
> 
> ~Paul