How to keep home dynamic ip updated in laptop's hosts file, both linux

Question

I can script and program if necessary, but just looking for the best way to do this. What I have in mind is everytime I connect to my home network, I use NetworkManager, it would update the ip. That won't ensure 100% garuntee that it'll work, but it should be good enough.

If I did want 100% I was thinking I could have my desktop, an openSuse 11.4 box (somehow) run a script whenever the address gets changed and update it to a remote server which I have control of. Then as a fallback I can always just check that and manually change it.

Is there a better way than this though, seems like a good bit of work.

Answer 1

Easiest way is to get a name on something like dyndns and use the name

Have you checked how often the IP actually changes? On most cable supplies it almost never does - minehas been the same for more than a year

Answer 2

Googling dynamic DNS will bring up a bunch of providers that do exactly this, both paid and free. These providers will provide you a hostname that's tracked to your home's dynamic IP. Some routers (e.g. WRT54G) include functionality to directly update the servers.