luci-app-ddns: Namecheap DDNS setting are misleading

[mayl]

Setting up DDNS with namecheap through LUCI was a little confusing for me. Basically, LUCI populates the "username" field into the "host" field in the namecheap update url. Until I figured that out, I was putting my namecheap account username into the username field and it obviously wasn't working. It would help newbies like me out if this was a little bit more consistent/clear.

[castillofrancodamian]

Can you help me how to configure the DDNS client in OpenWrt with this service?

[ryandmaclean]

This had me confused for a while until I found this post. The 'username' field is really the 'host' field as mentioned in the OP. Thus, 'Domain: example.net', and 'username: myhost' updates 'myhost.example.net'.

It's additionally confusing that the 'Domain' field shows 'myhost.example.net' as an example of what to enter as shown below:

[castillofrancodamian]

This had me confused for a while until I found this post. The 'username' field is really the 'host' field as mentioned in the OP. Thus, 'Domain: example.net', and 'username: myhost' updates 'myhost.example.net'.

It's additionally confusing that the 'Domain' field shows 'myhost.example.net' as an example of what to enter as shown below:

What device are you using and what version of OpenWrt? I would also like you to show me your config file.

[feckert]

Have you tried the newest luci-app-ddns? There we have improved the description.
https://github.com/openwrt/luci/blob/master/applications/luci-app-ddns/htdocs/luci-static/resources/view/ddns/overview.js#L736

[castillofrancodamian]

Have you tried the newest luci-app-ddns? There we have improved the description.
https://github.com/openwrt/luci/blob/master/applications/luci-app-ddns/htdocs/luci-static/resources/view/ddns/overview.js#L736

What would "USERNAME" be?

[feckert]

You got me there now ;-)
That is of course wrong.
USERNAME must be replaced with DOMAIN.

[castillofrancodamian]

You got me there now ;-)
That is of course wrong.
USERNAME must be replaced with DOMAIN.

This is my configuration file:

config service 'namecheap'
        option service_name 'namecheap.com'
        option use_ipv6 '0'
        option enabled '1'
        option ip_source 'network'
        option ip_network 'wan'
        option interface 'wan'
        option use_syslog '2'
        option check_unit 'minutes'
        option force_unit 'minutes'
        option retry_unit 'seconds'
        option password 'ae304c1ff03f48edade0912c419420e7'
        option lookup_host 'abc.com.ar'
        option domain 'abc.com.ar'
        option username 'abc.com.ar'

By the way, I use recently installed snapshots.

[ryandmaclean]

I'm using a Linksys WRT3200ACM with firmware version "OpenWrt 19.07.4 r11208-ce6496d796 / LuCI openwrt-19.07 branch git-20.247.75781-0d0ab01"

The software package installed is:
ddns-scripts 2.7.8-13 (installed by luci-app-ddns)
luci-app-ddns 2.4.9-7

In the below screenshot I replaced my actual domain / subdomain with 'example.net' and 'subdomain', respectively, but this configuration works in this version of the software. Namecheap.com uses the domain (in this example, 'example.net') as the 'username' (I think?).

Here is the string sent to namecheap.com (from log file):
'http://dynamicdns.park-your-domain.com/update?host=subdomain&domain=example.net&password=***PW***&ip=12.34.56.78'

Relevant config in the GUI:

[castillofrancodamian]

I'm using a Linksys WRT3200ACM with firmware version "OpenWrt 19.07.4 r11208-ce6496d796 / LuCI openwrt-19.07 branch git-20.247.75781-0d0ab01"

The software package installed is:
ddns-scripts 2.7.8-13 (installed by luci-app-ddns)
luci-app-ddns 2.4.9-7

In the below screenshot I replaced my actual domain / subdomain with 'example.net' and 'subdomain', respectively, but this configuration works in this version of the software. Namecheap.com uses the domain (in this example, 'example.net') as the 'username' (I think?).

Here is the string sent to namecheap.com (from log file):
'http://dynamicdns.park-your-domain.com/update?host=subdomain&domain=example.net&password=***PW***&ip=12.34.56.78'

Relevant config in the GUI:

My fictitious domain is abc.com.ar
How should I put the data? I use Snapshots.

config service 'namecheap'
        option service_name 'namecheap.com'
        option use_ipv6 '0'
        option enabled '1'
        option ip_source 'network'
        option ip_network 'wan'
        option interface 'wan'
        option use_syslog '2'
        option check_unit 'minutes'
        option force_unit 'minutes'
        option retry_unit 'seconds'
        option password 'ae304c1ff03f48edade0912c419420e7'
        option lookup_host 'abc.com.ar'
        option domain '.com.ar'
        option username '.com.ar'

[feckert]

The config values replaces the following values in this file during run.
https://github.com/openwrt/packages/blob/master/net/ddns-scripts/files/usr/share/ddns/default/namecheap.com.json

[ryandmaclean]

The config file that is rendered by the luci-app-ddns GUI at /etc/config/ddns on my system is (only posting relevant section, with changes as consistent with above):

config service 'subdomain_ipv4'
        option service_name 'namecheap.com'
        option enabled '1'
        option password 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
        option lookup_host 'subdomain.example.net'
        option username 'subdomain'
        option domain 'example.net'

(Note: Technically I should have written 'host' instead of 'subdomain' for my example, like host.example.net. Also, you shouldn't post your password!)

[castillofrancodamian]

The config file that is rendered by the luci-app-ddns GUI at /etc/config/ddns on my system is (only posting relevant section, with changes as consistent with above):

config service 'subdomain_ipv4'
        option service_name 'namecheap.com'
        option enabled '1'
        option password 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
        option lookup_host 'subdomain.example.net'
        option username 'subdomain'
        option domain 'example.net'

(Note: Technically I should have written 'host' instead of 'subdomain' for my example, like host.example.net. Also, you shouldn't post your password!)

What happens is that we have a different version of DDNS and I think there was a change in the way it is configured. By the way, I have already changed the password in the NameCheap panel.
I don't know if it's relevant, but in NameCheap I have an @ in Host:

[castillofrancodamian]

With this configuration I found on Reddit it does work:

config service 'namecheap'
        option service_name 'namecheap.com'
        option use_ipv6 '0'
        option enabled '1'
        option lookup_host 'dynamicdns.park-your-domain.com'
        option domain 'abc.com.ar'
        option username '@'
        option password 'PASSWORD'
        option ip_source 'network'
        option ip_network 'wan'
        option interface 'wan'
        option use_syslog '2'
        option check_unit 'minutes'
        option force_unit 'minutes'
        option retry_unit 'seconds'

But in the DDNS panel it shows another IP that is not mine:

[ryandmaclean]

What I'd expect is a field called 'host', where 'host' can be '@' (in your case) or 'subdomain' (in my case), instead of a 'username' field.

{
        "name": "namecheap.com",
        "ipv4": {
                "url": "http://dynamicdns.park-your-domain.com/update?host=[USERNAME]&domain=[DOMAIN]&password=[PASSWORD]&ip=[IP]"
        }
}

'USERNAME' seems misplaced here. Does namecheap.com technically use a 'username' for ddns? It seems to just use the domain name (example.com, in my case).

[castillofrancodamian]

At the end, what should I enter in each box? It doesn't work one way or another...
In DuckDNS it works by entering Host: abc.com.ar, Domain: abc and Username: abc.

[castillofrancodamian]

namecheap update url

According to that Link says that I have to complete this way:

https://dynamicdns.park-your-domain.com/update?host=@&domain=abc.com.ar&password=PASSWORD&ip=MY-IP

I tested this in a browser because the OpenWrt DDNS client does not allow entering the "@" value in Host as indicated in the NameCheap Link. I also see that my IP is in the Namecheap panel.

[adelton]

I now filed #7559 to actually show the Update URL which will be used. It is not exactly the customization of fields that people suggested here but hopefully it would make it easier to see what to fill where.