How to Fix Amcrest DDNS Not Working? – Complete Guide

What to do when Amcrest DDNS not working? When the DDNS is not working, you lose a layer of security and cannot access your camera remotely.

With Amcrest DDNS, you must ensure all connected devices have matching settings. Also, your internet must be capable of supporting DDNS. Further, check if any firmware update is available and if the Amcrest server is online.

Some of the solutions described above will require more digging to make any sense.

Fortunately, the guide below delivers just that. After all solutions, your Amcrest DDNS should work.

Why Is Amcrest DDNS Not Working?

Dynamic Domain Name System, also known as Dynamic DNS or DDNS, constantly updates the history that correlates an IP to a DNS, ensuring connectivity at all times.

In addition, it lets you access the setup device from anywhere in the world.

That is the kind of functionality that is critical to e-security services such as remote monitoring solutions. 

However, it feels weird when you can’t get your DDNS to work properly. After all, the service that should ensure connectivity is unable to connect! 

When your Amcrest DDNS cannot work, the main causes are as follows:

Unstable Internet

DDNS requires a stable connection to keep up with the ever-changing data.

Conflicting Settings

When settings on both ends are not the same, there will be a connection failure at some point.

The Data Is Taking Too Long to Propagate

Some users have already reported that the Amcrest DDNS sometimes takes a few hours to start working.

Configuration Is Incorrect

Casual users might find it hard to set DDNS up, leading to unexpected malfunctioning.

Amcrest DDNS Is Down

If the service is down, no other solution will work. However, you need to check if it is only for you or everyone.

Defective Device

Perhaps your Amcrest device can’t configure the DDNS because some hardware or software error prevents it.

How To Fix Amcrest DDNS

Amcrest DDNS is not the easiest thing to set up. Even if we live in an era of technology, not everyone is familiar with setting up a DDNS.

That is especially true when you are doing that for the first time.

First-timers may experience a lot of trouble. However, as you now know from the section above, some of them are easy to fix.

Solution #1: Set Everything Up From Scratch

Are you a first-timer with Amcrest DDNS? In that case, what is causing your DDNS not to work might be some misconfiguration. 

To configure DDNS on your device, you must: 

1. Log into the device’s online user interface (web UI) from a computer.
2. Forward the HTTP port on your camera by clicking Setup > Network > Connection
3. Make changes to the HTTP port.
4. Activate the DDNS service using the web UI by going to Setup>Network>DDNS 
5. Check the Type box
6. Keep the DDNS provider at the default AMCREST DDNS.

In addition, www.amcrestddns.com will be the location of the server.

1. Just type in the website’s address. 
2. Click the Save button.

Note that common names like “Amcrest,” “camera,” etc. may not work when setting up DDNS since other devices are already using them.

To reach your gadget using DDNS, type “domainname.amcrestddns.com:port#” in your browser’s address bar.

For example, if your domain name is “mycamera” and your HTTP port is 36669, your DDNS IP address will look like this:

“mycamera.amcrestddns.com:36669.”

Note: Your DDNS service will have a 10-minute interval between updates. Unless otherwise specified, this should be left at 10.

Solution #2: Check If Settings Are Matching

Suppose you are using an app like Amcrest Pro View with DDNS activated. In that case, it is of utmost importance that all settings match.

Everything you set up for the camera must be the same in the app and vice versa.

Since there are so many configurations you must make, it is common that you forget to set one thing in the app as it is for the cam.

Therefore, for precaution, we suggest you double-check it.

Once everything matches, try connecting again.

Solution #3: Verify Your Internet Connection

Are you getting Amcrest DDNS disconnected? That might be due to your internet connection. 

First of all, ensure that you have a 2.4GHz wireless network available. Amcrest devices benefit from its extended range.

Next, you already have the wireless set up but might still be facing disconnections.

In that case:

1. Locate your router’s power button
2. Turn it off
3. Wait for a few moments
4. Turn it back on

If your connection is jammed, resetting it will help the Amcrest device pick up a fresh connection. Then, the DDNS will work as it should.

Suppose the above still doesn’t solve anything. Then, it is time to verify your other devices and see how the internet behaves.

If you notice slowdowns and disconnections, the issue is on your router or ISP.

Tip: Try contacting your ISP to learn if they are facing issues in your area. Alternatively, try a spare router if that is possible.

Solution #4: Confirm That Amcrest DDNS Is Online

Let’s say you already did all of the above, but you still can’t get Amcrest DDNS to work.

In that case, it is worth checking if Amcrest DDNS is up and running. 

You can check the status of the Amcrest DDNS server here. There are some possible results:

• amcrestddns.com is working
• amcrestddns.com is working but not for you
• amcrestddns.com is not working 

What Each Result Means

In case you are having trouble, the first result is very unlikely to show up. However, if it does show up, then something else is wrong.

However, if the second result shows up, then something is wrong on your end.

Since the site only checks your connection, it might be that something is blocking your devices from reaching the Amcrest DDNS server. 

To verify that, you must get in touch with your ISP or Amcrest. They can tell you whether there is some blockage for the network in your area.

The third result means that the issue is on Amcrest end. In that case, there is little you can do but wait.

Solution #5: Update Your Device’s Firmware

Suppose you use an outdated or subpar version of the camera’s firmware. In that case, it might result in security issues and other difficulties.

Firmware upgrades cannot be performed using Amcrest view or any other app.

You may determine whether your firmware is current by pressing the “Check Version” button. 

If there is, do the following:

1. Access the web user interface of your camera using a computer
2. Download the most recent firmware by visiting https://amcrest.com/firmware
3. Click Setup>>System>>Upgrade in the online UI.
4. Find the file you just downloaded (.bin) from the firmware downloads page.
5. Upload the file
6. Click “Upgrade” 

When the update is successful, your device will reboot automatically.

Note: This procedure is recommended if any setting is not working correctly.

Solution #6: Wait A Few Hours

As frustrating as the solution sounds, sometimes you have to wait a few hours for data to propagate correctly through Amcrest DDNS servers.

That is boggling, right? After all, online services should be immediate.

However, there are reports of users who set up their DDNS properly but could only access it after a few hours.

When you need to use your DDNS connection immediately, finding a workaround is hard. 

Tip: The best thing you can do is get in touch with Amcrest and ask if anything is wrong with the servers.

What We Learned

When you face Amcrest DDNS not working, you first must check if the settings match in the different devices.

Next, check if the network to which the camera is connected is faulty. 

Other malfunction causes include the service being offline, the firmware being outdated, or the data taking too long to propagate.