How to configure a router with Padavan firmware to work with Dynamic DNS
Padavan — is a firmware for routers based on OpenWrt. It is provided as an alternative to standard firmware from manufacturers and allows to improve the functionality and performance of devices.
Setting up DDNS
Screenshot of DDNS settings in Padavan
DDNS settings in the Padavan router
Open the settings of your device (for example, a router), usually this is http://192.168.0.1 and configure according to the description:
- Service profile:
pick custom
- DDNS server (FQDN или IP):
dynupdate.alviy.com
- URL path for update:
nic/update?hostname=
- Host Name:
Name of your domain
- User Name:
you login (email or username)
- Password:
credentials
Alternative to DynDNS protocol
Not always the router has all the capabilities for the desired DDNS settings. In this case, there are two options for regularly updating the address:
- Call a GET request to the Secure Update URL, which can be found in the settings of each DynDNS domain at https://cloud.alviy.com/ddns/
- Use client software - DUC (Dynamic Update Client), more details at page
Padavan vs OpenWrt: which to choose
Padavan and OpenWrt solve the same problem — replacing stock firmware with something more flexible — but from different angles. Padavan is lightweight and targets a narrow range of MediaTek- and Ralink-based devices (many Asus models and their clones); it has a simple web interface and an active community. OpenWrt is universal: it supports a very wide list of devices and gives you the opkg package manager and the LuCI interface, but it takes more effort to set up.
| Padavan | OpenWrt | |
|---|---|---|
| Device support | Narrow (MediaTek/Ralink, Asus and clones) | Very wide |
| Interface | Simple web UI | LuCI and command line |
| Extensibility | Limited to the firmware build | Packages via opkg |
| Learning curve | Low | Higher |
| DDNS | Built-in client | ddns-scripts package |
If your model is on the Padavan list and you want a set-and-forget router, go with Padavan. If you need support for uncommon hardware or fine-grained tuning with extra packages, choose OpenWrt. Both work with dynamic DNS over the standard DynDNS2 protocol. How to fill in the fields on Padavan is above on this page; the general order for any router is in the setup guide, and what DDNS is and why you need it is in the dynamic DNS overview.