pinging a dynamic domain name fails when IP address changes

Hello all. I did a quick search of this forum and could not find anything on this issue, to my surprise.

I'm trying to use PingPlotter as a monotoring tool that confirms connection to a computer that is set up with a dynamic DNS client (specifically, using DynDNS.org). When I begin a trace, PingPlotter resolves the domain name to the present IP address found in the worldwide DNS databases. However, when that IP address changes (and the worldwide DNS databases are updated), PingPlotter does not realize it, because it continues to ping the old IP address.

How can I get PingPlotter to resolve the domain address every time it takes a trace sample, not just when the trace is begun?

As you discovered, PingPlotter does a name lookup only once - when you start the trace.

PingPlotter is architected around the use of IP Addresses with related names. The names are informational only. This means that a change of the IP Address that a name is associated with won't change the IP at all - just as you've discovered.

There is no way to have PingPlotter realize the IP changed. To have this happen, there are some relatively significant internal changes that would need to happen. We are investigating that, but don't have a scheduled implementation for it.

Ok, Thanks. I expected that answer, but I was still hoping...

I hope my question helped you determine which things to prioritize in your wish list! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I also have the same situation. Any chance that has been addressed in the last year?

Thanks.

We've not found the right solution for this. In particular, when the IP changes, how should it work in PingPlotter? Should the target history be assciated with the old IP address, and we start a new history with the new IP? Should the IP address just be changed and the history all stays with the final destination (no matter what IP it has)?

How would you know the final target's IP changed? What kind of an indicator in the software would be appropriate?

What if the target you enter is one that has a round-robin DNS resolution, where every time you resolve, you get a different IP (ie: load balancing)? The way we do it now, this works easily and well - but if we were resolving often and got different IPs every time, the collected data could be totally meaningless.

If anyone has some good solutions to these problem - that makes sense and doesn't cause a lot of complexity for the end user, we'd welcome the feedback. Unfortunately, the problem is not remedial to solve, so we've not implemented anything yet.

- Pete

Hi my 2cents: have 2 monitoring modes
1st mode: as is track and monitor IP addresses <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> PingPlotter is still my favorite graphical tool for this
2nd mode: track FQDN names including dyndns ones
* easy to grab: either fixed IPs (FQDN only resolved ones) or FQDN (dynamic IPs)
* maybe compare tracking address with 'well-known' dyndns providers and ask at monitoring start for 'symbolic names' aka dyndns tracking mode
* present and store results under IP (mode 1) or FQDN (mode 2)
* start search for update if IP address no longer reachable, IP address change happened,
* add to route changes IP address updates
Would be great to use PingPlotter for such a monitoring.

Not to resurrect a 12-year-old topic, but is there any thought to solving this? I've got a really ugly roll-my-own solution, but doing this in PingPlotter would be really helpful...

Thanks!