Pointing a Domain to my IP address

hello!

I've been having some fun recently trying to setup my home pc as a SSH server / proxy for when I'm out & about & overseas, and also allow remote desktop etc. After lots of trial & error, I'm getting there now, and most bits are working ok.

What I would really like to do though, is register a domain and have it point to my home PC. I have a static IP, so no problem in that respect - I just don't quite know how to go about it.

From what I've read, the 2 main options are hosting my own DNS server - which requires 2 static IP addresses, and a lot of setting up, so don't fancy that - or basically use a fancy version of dyndns.com which uses your own domain - but that seems to be tailored towards people without a static IP - which I do have - and would require install their server software to communicate back to them my IP address periodically.

Now - I think my ISP may be able to help, as I'm with AAISP (so my quesiton may be better in their sub-forum, or askign them directly) - but I'm not realy sure what I'm asking for. Someone to do the DNS hosting which lets me use my IP as the primary DNS and provide the secondary DNS, I guess? Is that such a service.

Also - is there such as way to have a sub-domain and associate it with a specific Port? I could then for example use desktop.mydomain.com for remote destop, rather than 11.22.33.44:8080 each time ) - and have proxy.mydomain.com for the ssh server etc.

Thanks!

Domain name registrars will either have their own DNS servers or they will allow you to point your domain names to DNS servers of your choice, or possibly both. Since you will be hosting your own web applications, you will probably want a registrar that has its own DNS servers.

As for sub-domains, you will need to configure them in your own web server, e.g. Apache (as virtual hosts).

Edited by micksharpe (Wed 30-Nov-11 17:04:57)

Most registrars will provide a free (or rather included in the price) DNS service with your domain. Usually with the two (or more) nameservers in logically and geographically diverse locations.

All you need to do is add an A record (and possibly a PTR record) to point whatever hostname you like to your DSL IP address.

DNS has no ability to reference port numbers.

P.S. Since you have a fixed IP address, you do not need your own domain name. You can just point your browser to your IP address and port number, e.g. 1.2.3.4:8080.

P.P.S. It looks like your ISP can provide everything that you need.

Sign up for a free account with a good domain registrar (say Heart Internet) and all should become clear.

Use their Name Servers and just set a sub-domain A Record to point to your IP address.
You will need to let your router do the port handling as that is nothing to do with DNS.

A&A still include a free .uk domain with accounts so I'd give sales a quick email and see if they can set one up for you.
http://www.aaisp.net.uk/broadband-freedomain.html

Once that's done you can set up everything, like pointing the domain at your IP address, via the online control panel

Wicked - thanks everyone for all the responses. Sounds like dropping an email to A&A is my first port of call - put should be doable!

ps Mickshare - yes, you're quite right I can (and currently do) point directly to my IP:Port, but would just like to have a domain I can type in rather than remember my IP!

Register a .me.uk domain if you can. It's intended for people rather than companies.

Great if your current ISP includes one, and if not there are plenty of other providers who will do domain registration with a control panel to setup DNS entries ('A' record is what you'll need). Some include a certain number of free subdomains too.

For example 1&1 domain prices.

Although a domain name is only associated with an IP address rather than IP plus port number, if you are hosting a website on something other than the default port 80, some providers will offer the option to redirect or you can do the redirect when someone arrives on your own server.

For websites, if your chosen provider includes subdomains (all will point at the same IP) or allows wildcard subdomains (*.yourdomain.me.uk all point to the same place automatically) you can do name-based vhosts on your server rather than different port numbers.

For other stuff if you are not using the default service port number
(Remote desktop RDP=3389, VNC=5900, SSH=22, SOCKS Proxy=1080)
you'll still have to specify it in the client even if you have a domain name. This does not need different domain names as your router should be able to forward port numbers to whichever machine is hosting that service.

Edited by prlzx (Thu 01-Dec-11 00:46:09)

In reply to a post by prlzx:

For websites, if your chosen provider includes subdomains (all will point at the same IP) .......

A good registrar will allow sub-domain A records to point to different IP addresses.

e.g.
bbc.co.uk - 212.58.241.131
www.bbc.co.uk - 212.58.246.91
news.bbc.co.uk - 212.58.244.57

Yes, agreed.

However, in the context of the poster, they would want them all to point at the same IP (their router) because they want to forward to the home PC server, and as they only have 1 public IP!

Transfer your domain over to AAISP's name servers (if you haven't got a free domain with them already then tell them you want this as your free domain or they may charge an extra couple of quid a month) and then use Clueless to setup the records.

Piece of cake.

Thanks,

was very easy indeed - little too easy!

Thanks all for the guidance!