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Perle Systems Technical Notes

Automatic DNS Update

In large networks it is sometimes easier to associate equipment with meaningful names versus specific IP addresses. Domain name servers ( DNS ) is the standard mechanism used by the internet and large enterprises to associate names to IP addresses. IOLANs have the ability to work with DNS Servers to associate its given name with its allocated IP address. As an example, the IOLAN upon power-up can inform the local DHCP server of its confgured name and request that the DHCP server inform the DNS server with this information. This enables an administrator to easily find a newly installed IOLAN and access it directly by name.

In most cases, IP addresses that are allocated on the internet are dynamic in nature. A user could get a different IP address the next time they connect to the internet. For the most part these types of connections work since individuals who use browsers are establishing outbound connections to web sites and email servers etc. However if a remote user wants to connect directly to another user or device, this can be difficult since the other peer’s IP address may have changed from the last time or its address is masked or translated behind a local router. Domain Name service providers such as DYNDNS offer a service where users identify themselves and have the service provider connect its name with the IP address that they are now using. This enables remote users to access the entity without having to know its IP address.

This is ideal for remote device servers connected to serial ports. Users on the internet can access the device server by name without having to know its IP address. IOLAN device servers now has a feature where it can connect to DYNDNS with a predefined account and its configured name and enable remote users to access it by name.