Is a Domain Name Required to Use DDNS?

Introducing methods to implement DDNS without purchasing a domain name, using NullPrivate or AdGuardHome services

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Introduction

Dynamic DNS (DDNS) typically requires purchasing a domain name, but now there’s a simpler method: implementing DDNS without a domain name. This article will introduce how to use services like NullPrivate or AdGuardHome to achieve this functionality.

Core Concepts

Domain-free DDNS refers to implementing dynamic domain name resolution by utilizing private DNS services instead of purchasing traditional public domain names. This approach has the following characteristics:

No domain purchase required: Uses private domains or pseudo-domains
Privacy protection: Only users connected to the private DNS service can resolve
Immediate effect: Changes take effect without cache time, no need to wait for DNS propagation

Supported Services

NullPrivate

NullPrivate is a private DNS service that provides basic DNS rewriting functionality. Through its DNS rewriting feature, DDNS can be implemented.

Both self-deployment and SaaS services available
Download and run DDNS scripts directly from the service interface

AdGuardHome

AdGuardHome is an open-source DNS server that can also implement similar functionality.

Requires self-deployment of AdGuardHome instance
Supports DDNS configuration via scripts

Setup Steps

Using NullPrivate

Ensure NullPrivate is deployed and running
Navigate to the DNS Rewrite page
Download the DDNS script
Run the script:

Windows

Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process
.\ddns-script.ps1

Linux/macOS

chmod +x ddns-script.sh
./ddns-script.sh

Using AdGuardHome

Ensure AdGuardHome is deployed and running
Download the script from the Release page
Run the script:

Windows

Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process
.\ddns.ps1 -BaseUrl <base_url> -Username <username> -Password <password> -Domain <domain>

Linux/macOS

chmod +x ddns.sh
./ddns.sh -b <base_url> -u <username> -p <password> -d <domain>

Advantage Comparison

Compared to traditional DDNS, this solution has the following advantages:

Feature	Traditional DDNS	Domain-free DDNS
Domain Cost	Requires purchase	No purchase needed
DNS Cache	Has cache time	Immediate effect
DNS Propagation	Requires waiting	Immediately available
Privacy Protection	Public resolution	Private resolution
Setup Complexity	Relatively complex	Simple and fast

Workflow Diagram

graph TD
    A[User has dynamic IP] --> B[Deploy NullPrivate or AdGuardHome]
    B --> C[Download DDNS script]
    C --> D[Run script to configure DDNS]
    D --> E[Script periodically updates DNS records]
    E --> F[Client uses private domain to access]
    F --> G[DNS resolves to current IP]

    style A fill:#e1f5fe
    style B fill:#f3e5f5
    style C fill:#e8f5e8
    style D fill:#fff3e0
    style E fill:#fce4ec
    style F fill:#e0f2f1
    style G fill:#f3e5f5

Features

Quick setup: Utilize existing services, no additional configuration needed
Cross-platform support: Supports Windows and Unix-like systems
Multiple authentication methods: Supports cookies or username/password authentication
Full compatibility: Seamlessly integrates with AdGuardHome