🎥 Watch the full Synology VPN setup in the video, step by step
This is the smallest setting in the whole setup and the one that decides whether your VPN still works next month. This page explains why home addresses move, turns on Synology's free DDNS, and finishes the job most guides forget — pointing the VPN file itself at the name.
Control Panel · External Access · DDNS
Service providerSynology
Hostnameyourname.synology.me
StatusNormal
External addressUpdates automatically
One hostname that always points home, even when your provider changes your public IP overnight.
1
Why Your VPN Breaks Even Though You Changed Nothing
Home internet connections rarely get a permanent public IP. Your provider can change it overnight, after a modem restart, or when a lease expires. Your exported VPN file points at the old number, so the phone knocks on a door that now belongs to someone else — or to nobody.
The VPN server is fine. The router rule is fine. Only the address moved
DDNS solves this by making the NAS itself report its new address whenever it changes
Your clients then use a name that never changes instead of a number that does
2
Turn On Synology DDNS
Synology runs a free DDNS service for every NAS owner. No separate account or payment is needed beyond your Synology Account.
Open Control Panel → External Access → DDNS tab → Add
Set the service provider to Synology and sign in
Choose a hostname you will remember, like sharma-home.synology.me
Save and confirm the entry shows status Normal with your current public IP
Choosing "Synology" also gives you a free Let's Encrypt certificate option for that hostname in the same flow, which is useful for DSM access over HTTPS.
3
Point Your VPN File at the Name, Not the Number
DDNS only helps if the client uses the name. When you export the OpenVPN configuration from VPN Server, DSM may write your current public IP into it.
Open the exported .ovpn file in a plain text editor
Find the line starting with remote and replace the IP address with your DDNS hostname, keeping the port: remote yourname.synology.me 1194
Save and re-import the file into OpenVPN Connect on each device
Do this once and IP changes stop being your problem forever.
4
If the Status Is Not Normal
Failed to connect: the NAS itself cannot reach the internet or Synology's service — check its gateway and DNS settings under Control Panel → Network
Hostname taken: pick a different name; synology.me names are shared by every Synology owner in the world
Address looks private (starts with 100.64, 10, or 192.168): your provider is using CGNAT. DDNS will faithfully publish an address nobody can reach — see the CGNAT guide for your real options
🎥 Watch the Complete Process in the Video
Watch the video for the server setup, then use this page to make the setup permanent.
Yes. Every Synology NAS includes free DDNS hostnames under synology.me (and a few other Synology domains) with a Synology Account. Third-party DDNS providers are also supported in the same screen if you already have one.
How often does the DDNS address update?
The NAS checks and updates its DDNS record automatically whenever its public address changes, and refreshes it periodically in between. You do not need to touch it after setup.
DDNS shows Normal but the VPN still fails. What now?
Then the name is fine and the problem is elsewhere: the router port forward, the DSM firewall, or CGNAT. DDNS only guarantees the phone knocks on the right house — the door still has to be open.
This guide is based on the Technical Anshu Synology NAS VPN video • Stuck on any step? Ask in the video comments — you will get a reply there 🙏