NOTE: This article contains information that has been supersceded in part by a more recent article. After reading this article, please see this article about changes in the Server Locator and Host Names

Question: If my ISP changes both my hostname and my IP and a random but frequent basis, can RBS locator still somehow point my Endpoints to me? If so, how should I configure my Endpoints install disks, with IP or with Hostname? How does that work?

Answer: The Server Locator keeps track of all that for you automatically, so it doesn't matter how often your ISP changes your IP address or host name. Periodically your RBS Server reports your current IP address to RBS's central DNS servers. Unless you change it, the RBS Server reports your IP address every 10 minutes.

When you first bought your software, RBS assigned you to one of our two Server Locators. The Server Locator assigns your RBS Server a host name which never changes. The host name is like a domain name, but it's a little longer. It is made up of the serial number for your RBS Server plus the domain name of RBS' DNS servers, like this:

76543210.ddns.rbsnet.net

In the above examples, 76543210 is your serial number (do not use this example) and ddns.rbsnet.net is RBS' DNS server.

So, for your Endpoints to connect to your Server, they will connect to your Host Name rather than your IP address. This way, they can always find you even if your IP address changes.

The Server Locator is a service offered as part of your Maintenance Subscription (Support/Upgrade Subscription) It works only when your subscription is current.