HMA! Tip: What is a dynamic DNS host and what do I need it for?

Dynamic DNS hosts are a useful tool for many VPN users, but using one also makes sense without a VPN.Most IPs are dynamic – which means that they change on every reconnection. This happens with the IPs your internet provider assigns to you as well as the IPs you are given when connecting to our VPN service.


Of course, you won’t know your IP before you manually check it at IP verifying websites and when you’re not at your computer, you won’t be able to do that, making it impossible to access your computer externally.


There are countless reasons why you may want to access your home computer from somewhere else, for example, on vacation or when visiting a friend. Perhaps to stream music, download files or access important documents.

Now unless you checked your IP and wrote it down before leaving (assuming it has not already changed since then), you’ll be unable to do that. That’s where a dynamic DNS host comes in. It looks like a simple subdomain, e.g. MyPC.no-ip.org and always points to your current IP, independent of any IP changes due to reconnection or VPN use. This enables you to simply access your home computer through that hostname instead of its current IP. Simply connect to it.

Requirements for this are that you registered a dynamic DNS hostname somewhere and that you have set up a dynamic DNS client either on your router or on your computer, which keeps updating the hostname with your current IP every few seconds.

This especially makes sense when using a VPN on a virtual private server (VPS) or a dedicated server as upon VPN connection, you have to access it through the VPN IP instead of its usual IP.

For more information, links and examples of use check our article about Dynamic DNS

Name of the Provider	Website Address
Hide My Ass	Visit Provider
Strong VPN	Visit Provider
Switch VPN	Visit Provider
Pure VPN	Visit Provider
IPVanish VPN	Visit Provider
Hotspot Shield Elite	Visit Provider