XMPP Service Operators - 2017-03-15

Hi all, I have a question regarding DNS SRV records... I want to run a xmpp server from home and that would require some kind of dyndns service. That's the easy part, I guess. If I was the only person on that specific server would I be able to communicate with users on other servers? Using a dyndns service would mean that there's no possibility to set DNS SRV records for s2s.

You don't need SRV records if the domain part of your JIDs matches the DynDNS domain. But note that s2s connections are usually not prepared to cope with flaky connections (most servers didn't enable XEP-0198 for them yet), so you might face message loss during IP changes.

OK, I have a cable connection, IP changes will not happen every night or so, we're talking about weeks or months here. To further complicate things, I have a registered domain where I'm able to set CNAMEs but not A or DNS SRV records (because I don't use static IPs at home). I would try and make a CNAME entry like "xmpp.domain.com" and "dyndnshost.abc" as its source. So, if my users look like user@xmpp.domain.com everything is fine? That would give me the benefit of a nice looking JID and I could generate an SSL certificate for that and still everything would be running at home.

I'm currently in the process of moving various services from my living room to proper locations and this work is annoying, so I'm not sure I can recommend that setup ;-)

But yes it should work.

zuglufttier: also, some XMPP implementations habe trouble with CNAMEs

Ge0rG‎: I have no good idea for a good looking domain name anyway...

zuglufttier: xmpp.domain used to be "state of the art" until SRV records were invented.

zuglufttier: I'd consider having JID = email address a good practice today

True. But running an email server is even worse than running an xmpp server :D

zuglufttier: that's not related at all ;)

Ge0rG‎: Also true... But that's what I'd have to do if I wanted to have a JID and an e-mail-address that both worked.

hum, am I missing something?

zuglufttier, why wouldn't dyndnshost.abc be your SRV?

ThibG‎: DNS SRV and A records need static IPs.

No, SRV do not.

the target is a host name, not an IP address

You can set the dyndns host as your SRV target

Nope: "As in MX records, the target in SRV records must point to hostname with an address record (A or AAAA record). Pointing to a hostname with a CNAME record is not a valid configuration."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SRV_record

but your dyndnshost.abc has A or AAAA records

no?

Oh, you're right... I mixed it up with using a CNAME. (what I wanted to do in the first place)

But dyndns aliases are ugly.

Well, that doesn't really matter as it's not something the user will see

My dyndns host will look like this: myname.homenet.org The resulting JID would look like this: user@myname.homenet.org Because I cannot set the DNS SRV records of homenet.org.

zuglufttier: because you are using the wrong domain registrar.

Ge0rG‎: I think that's pretty much the best you can get when it's supposed to be free.

zuglufttier: if your goal is to base your public identity on a third party you have no binding contract with, you can stick to using Gmail and Facebook messenger.

Ge0rG‎: That's why I said earlier that I might as well rent a small virtual server for this, using a "real" domain name.

Ge0rG‎: But I like the idea of running these things at my home.

zuglufttier: you might want to run a DNS server at home and get a cheap domain somewhere that allows you to run a hidden primary

Ge0rG‎: Interesting idea... But I think I'll end up renting some virtual server in the end.

Thanks everyone for the clarification! Anybody have a good idea for an xmpp server using a .de domain?

I mean, a good domain name :D Not so easy anymore...

jabbersün.de

I want a share if you ever monetize that!

:D

I always wonder whether domains are usable all over the world... You don't see them too often.

with umlauts

Yes, some countries happen to have no ASCII representation at all.