DynDNS on UniFi (UDM / gateway): step-by-step setup
Ubiquiti UniFi gateways support custom DynDNS providers. With DNS Beacon your UniFi Dream Machine or gateway keeps your network reachable under a permanent hostname, even as your IP changes. Here's how to configure it.
Step by step
- Open the admin interface of your Ubiquiti UniFi and go to Settings → Internet → WAN → Dynamic DNS.
- Enter the values below. Your username is your account email, your password is an API key from the dashboard.
- Save the settings. Your hostname now updates automatically whenever your IP changes — usually within a minute.
Settings to enter
Settings → Internet → WAN → Dynamic DNS
- Service:
- custom (or dyndns)
- Hostname:
- myhouse.dnsfollowme.uk
- Username:
- your email address
- Password:
- your API key
- Server:
- api.dnsbeacon.com/nic/update?hostname=%h&myip=%i
- IPv6:
- IPv4 only – UniFi OS does not support AAAA updates. For IPv6, run the DNS Beacon client directly on the target device.
Note: UniFi only sends updates when the WAN IP actually changes. To force an update, disable the DynDNS config, save, re-enable, save.
IPv4 or IPv6?
The values above update the IPv4 address (A record) — the normal case on connections with their own public IPv4. For IPv6 (AAAA record) the device sends the parameter &myipv6=<IPv6> in addition or instead. How to do that on this device is in the "IPv6" row of the table.
DS-Lite or CGNAT (many cable and fibre connections): the router then has no public IPv4, and the service rejects a private WAN address with "abuse". In that case send only myipv6 — or use the DNS Beacon client directly on the target device, which detects both address families itself.
Need a free hostname first?
Create a free DNS Beacon account, add a hostname and generate an API key — then come back and finish the setup above.
Create free account