Category: Networking

I just had the problem, that the MikroTik build in Cloud DDNS service struggling in the last days. Sometime it was simple not reachable, but today they created a IPv6 (AAAA) entry for my cloud unique domain - but IPv6 is not enabled between my upstream modem and my MikroTik router. So I decided to create a simple script which updates only the IPv4 and/or IPv6 address of my recods directly on the Hetzner DNS API. To detect my current public IP address (external WAN adress) I added support for multiple services which will be tried in a row.

Basic setup

1. Setup Hetzner DNS
   1. Create DNS A and/or AAAA records with a TTL of 30s in a Zone. Use @ for a full domain or a subdomain. This step is important to avoid DNS caching issues.
   2. Create a API token for Hetzner's DNS API
2. Create a new Script System -> Scripts
   1. Name: ddns-hetzner
   2. Policy: read, write, test, uncheck everything else
   3. Source: Copy the script here
3. Configure the script to your needs, check the description in the script or below for information how to configure it
4. This script requires Winand's mikrotik-json-parser. Create another new script
   1. Name: JParseFunctions
   2. Policy: read, write, test uncheck everything else
   3. Source: The content of mikrotik-json-parser
5. Create a new Schedule System -> Schedule
   1. Name: ddns-hetzner
   2. Start Date: leave it as it is
   3. Start Time: leave it as it is
   4. Interval: 00:02:00
   5. Policy: read, write, test uncheck everything else
   6. On Event: ddns-hetzner
6. Setup script configuration:

Script configuration

Variable name	Data type	Example	Description
apiKey	string	"3su1OLc0gUhUdwxn1bmKFss5V19mBhBx";	This variable requires a valid API token for the Hetzner DNS API. You can create an API token here.
ipv4detectList	array of strings	{"https://api4.ipify.org/?format=text", "https://api4.my-ip.io/ip.txt"; "http://v4.ipv6-test.com/api/myip.php"}	Web services which returns the remote IPv4 adress as simple text. No need to change.
ipv6detectList	array of strings	{"https://api6.ipify.org/?format=text", "https://api6.my-ip.io/ip.txt"; "http://v6.ipv6-test.com/api/myip.php"}	Web services which returns the remote IPv6 adress as simple text. No need to change.
domainEntryConfig	arrays of strings	:local domainEntryConfig {{"domain.com";"A";"@";"60";};{"domain.com";"AAAA";"@";"60";};};	See below how to format the arrays correctly.

domainEntryConfig array data sheet

The domainEntryConfig array consists of multiple arrays. Each of the is configuring a DNS record for a given domain in a zone.

The data sheet below describes the formatting of the DNS records arrays.

Array index	Data	Data type	Example	Description
0	zone	string	"domain.com"	Zone which should be used to set a record to.
1	record type	string	"A"	Valid values A, AAAA. The type of record which will be set. Also determines which IP (v4/v6) will be fetched.
2	record name	string	"@"	The record name which should be updated. Use @ for the root of your domain.
3	record TTL	string	"60"	TTL value of the record in seconds, for a dynamic entry a short lifetime like 60s is recommended.

Configuration example:

:local domainEntryConfig {
    {"mydomain.tld";"A";"ddns";"60";}; # Example
    {"mydomain.tld";"AAAA";"ddns";"60";}; # Example
    {"mydns.com";"AAAA","@";"60";}; # Example
};

This example will create & update those DNS records:

• mydomain.tld
  • IPv4
  • IPv6
• mydns.com
  • IPv6

Script

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# DDNS update script for Hetzner's DNS API
# with external IP detection
# 
# by foorschtbar (https://blog.fotto.de/mikrotik-dyndns-ddns-script-hetzner-api-ipv4-and-or-ipv6/)
# Version 1.0
#
# Credits:
# - 'ShokiNN (https://github.com/shokinn/hetzner-ddns-for-mikrotik)
# - kroteau (https://gist.github.com/kroteau/de05fa01c367a3329f85f99c0930e81)
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#============= START OF CONFIG ===============
# --- Define variables --- 
# Enter all required variables and secrets here. -- All secrets are stored unencrypted!
# API Key to authenticate to Hetzners API
:local apiKey ""; # Example: "3su1OLc0gUhUdwxn1bmKFss5V19mBhBx"; -- This one is invalid, you don't need to try ;)
# Online services which respond with your IPv4
:local ipv4detectList {"https://api4.ipify.org/?format=text", "https://api4.my-ip.io/ip.txt"; "http://v4.ipv6-test.com/api/myip.php"} 
# Online services which respond with your IPv6
:local ipv6detectList {"https://api6.ipify.org/?format=text", "https://api6.my-ip.io/ip.txt"; "http://v6.ipv6-test.com/api/myip.php"}

# --- Domain config ---
# Zone
# Zone which should be used to set a record to
# Data Type: String
# Example: "domain.com";
#
# Record type
# The type of record which will be set
# Data Type: String
# Valid values: "A", "AAAA"
# Example: "A";
#
# Record name
# Record name to be used to set a DNS entry
# Data Type: String
# Example: "@"; -- use @ to setup an entry at the root of your domain, e.g. "domain.com"
#
# Record TTL
# TTL value of the record in seconds, for a dynamic entry a short lifetime like 300 is recommended
# Data Type: String
# Example: "300";
#
# Array structure
# {
#     "domain.com"; # Zone
#     "A"; # Record type
#     "@"; # Record name
#     60; # Record TTL
# };
:local domainEntryConfig {
    {"mydomain.tld";"A";"ddns";"60";}; # Example
    {"mydomain.tld";"AAAA";"ddns";"60";}; # Example
    {"mydns.com";"AAAA","@";"60";}; # Example
};
#============= END OF CONFIG ===============

:local logPrefix "[Hetzner DDNS]";
:local apiUrl "https://dns.hetzner.com/api/v1";

:local getLocalIp do={
    #:local ip [/ip address get [:pick [find interface="$configInterface"] 0] address];
    #:return [:pick $ip 0 [:find $ip /]];
     # Parameters: 1 - list of urls
    :local extIP;
    :foreach url in=$1 do={
        :do { :set extIP ([/tool fetch url=$url output=user as-value]->"data")} on-error={ :log error "DDNS: Service $url failed" };
        if ( [:len "$extIP"]>0 ) do={ :return $extIP };
    };
};

:local getRemoteIpv4 do={
    :do {
        :local ip [:resolve "$configDomain"];
        :return "$ip";
    } on-error={
        return "";
    };
};

:local getRemoteIpv6 do={
    :local result [:toarray ""]
    :local maxwait 5
    :local cnt 0
    :local listname "tmp-resolve$cnt"
    /ipv6 firewall address-list {
        :do {
            :while ([:len [find list=$listname]] > 0) do={
                :set cnt ($cnt + 1);
                :set listname "tmp-resolve$cnt";
            };
            :set cnt 0;
            add list=$listname address=$1;
            :while ([find list=$listname && dynamic] = "" && $cnt < $maxwait) do={
                :delay 1;:set cnt ($cnt +1)
            };
            :foreach i in=[find list=$listname && dynamic] do={
                 :local rawip [get $i address];
                 :set result ($result, [:pick $rawip 0 [:find $rawip "/"]]);
            };
            remove [find list=$listname && !dynamic];
        };
    };
    :return $result;
};

:local apiGetZones do={
    [/system script run "JParseFunctions"; global JSONLoad; global JSONLoads; global JSONUnload];

    :local apiPage -0;
    :local apiNextPage 1;
    :local apiLastPage 0;
    :local apiResponse "";
    :local returnArr [:toarray ""];

    :do {
        :set apiResponse ([/tool/fetch "$apiUrl/zones?page=$apiNextPage&search_name=$configZone" http-method=get http-header-field="Auth-API-Token:$apiKey" output=user as-value]->"data");

        :set apiPage ([$JSONLoads $apiResponse]->"meta"->"pagination"->"page");
        :set apiNextPage ([$JSONLoads $apiResponse]->"meta"->"pagination"->"next_page");
        :set apiLastPage ([$JSONLoads $apiResponse]->"meta"->"pagination"->"last_page");

        :set returnArr ($returnArr , ([:toarray ([$JSONLoads $apiResponse]->"zones")]));
    } while=($apiPage != $apiLastPage);
    $JSONUnload;

    :return $returnArr;
};

:local apiGetZoneId do={
    :foreach responseZone in=$responseZones do={
        :if (($responseZone->"name") = $configZone) do={
            :return ($responseZone->"id");
        };
    };
};

:local apiSetRecord do={
    #apiUrl=$apiUrl apiKey=$apiKey zoneId=$zoneId configType=$configType configRecord=$configRecord configTtl=$configTtl interfaceIp=$interfaceIp
    [/system script run "JParseFunctions"; global JSONLoad; global JSONLoads; global JSONUnload];

    :local recordId "";
    :local apiResponse "";
    :local payload "{\"zone_id\": \"$zoneId\",\"type\": \"$configType\",\"name\": \"$configRecord\",\"value\": \"$interfaceIp\",\"ttl\": $([:tonum $configTtl])}";
    :local records ([$JSONLoads ([/tool/fetch "$apiUrl/records?zone_id=$zoneId" http-method=get http-header-field="Auth-API-Token:$apiKey" output=user as-value]->"data")]->"records");

    :foreach record in=$records do={
        :if ((($record->"name") = $configRecord) && (($record->"type") = $configType)) do={
            :set recordId ($record->"id");
        }
    };

    :if ($recordId != "") do={
        :set apiResponse ([/tool/fetch "$apiUrl/records/$recordId" http-method=put http-header-field="Content-Type:application/json,Auth-API-Token:$apiKey" http-data=$payload output=user as-value]->"status");
    } else={
        :set apiResponse ([/tool/fetch "$apiUrl/records" http-method=post http-header-field="Content-Type:application/json,Auth-API-Token:$apiKey" http-data=$payload output=user as-value]->"status");
    };

    $JSONUnload;
    return $apiResponse;
};

# Log "run of script"
:log info "$logPrefix running";

:local index 0;
:foreach i in=$domainEntryConfig do={
    :local configZone ("$($i->0)");
    :local configType ("$($i->1)");
    :local configRecord ("$($i->2)");
    :local configTtl ("$($i->3)");
    :local configDomain "";
    :local interfaceIp "";
    :local dnsIp "";
    :local startLogMsg "$logPrefix Start configuring domain:";
    :local endLogMsg "$logPrefix Finished configuring domain:";

    :if ($configRecord = "@") do={
        :set configDomain ("$($i->0)");
    } else={
        :set configDomain ("$($i->2).$($i->0)");
    };

    :if ($configType = "A") do={
        :log info "$startLogMsg $configDomain - Type A record";

        :set interfaceIp [$getLocalIp $ipv4detectList];
        :set dnsIp [$getRemoteIpv4 configDomain=$configDomain];

        :if ($interfaceIp != $dnsIp) do={
            :log info "$logPrefix $configDomain: local IP ($interfaceIp) differs from DNS IP ($dnsIp) - Updating entry";

            :local responseZones [$apiGetZones apiUrl=$apiUrl apiKey=$apiKey configZone=$configZone];
            :local zoneId [$apiGetZoneId responseZones=$responseZones configZone=$configZone];
            :local responseSetRecord [$apiSetRecord apiUrl=$apiUrl apiKey=$apiKey zoneId=$zoneId configType=$configType configRecord=$configRecord configTtl=$configTtl interfaceIp=$interfaceIp];
            :if ($responseSetRecord = "finished") do={
                :log info "$logPrefix $configDomain: update successful"
            };
        } else={
            :log info "$logPrefix $configDomain: local IP and DNS IP are equal - Nothing to do";
        }

        :log info "$endLogMsg $configDomain - Type A record";
    };

    :if ($configType = "AAAA") do={
        :log info "$startLogMsg $configDomain - Type AAAA record";

        :set interfaceIp [$getLocalIp $ipv6detectList];
        :set dnsIp [$getRemoteIpv6 $configDomain];

        :if ($interfaceIp != $dnsIp) do={
            :log info "$logPrefix $configDomain: local IP ($interfaceIp) differs from DNS IP ($dnsIp) - Updating entry";

            :local responseZones [$apiGetZones apiUrl=$apiUrl apiKey=$apiKey configZone=$configZone];
            :local zoneId [$apiGetZoneId responseZones=$responseZones configZone=$configZone];
            :local responseSetRecord [$apiSetRecord apiUrl=$apiUrl apiKey=$apiKey zoneId=$zoneId configType=$configType configRecord=$configRecord configTtl=$configTtl interfaceIp=$interfaceIp];
            :if ($responseSetRecord = "finished") do={
                :log info "$logPrefix $configDomain: update successful"
            };
        } else={
            :log info "$logPrefix $configDomain: local IP and DNS IP are equal - Nothing to do";
        }

        :log info "$endLogMsg $configDomain - Type AAAA record";
    };

    :if (($configType != "A") && ($configType != "AAAA")) do={
        :log error ("$logPrefix Wrong record type for array index number " . $index . " (Value: $configType)");
    };

    :set index ($index+1);
};
:set index;

:log info "$logPrefix finished";

Credits for the base scripts:

• shokinn/hetzner-ddns-for-mikrotik: A Mikrotik script to update DDNS entries via Hetzner's DNS API
• Mikrotik DuckDns Updater w/IPv6 support