IP Monitor Discord Bot

This Go application monitors your external IP address and updates a pinned message in a specified Discord channel whenever the IP changes. It also sends a broadcast message notifying about the IP change.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Prerequisites
• Setup Instructions
  • 1. Clone the Repository
  • 2. Create a Discord Bot
  • 3. Create a .env File
  • 4. Install Dependencies
  • 5. Build and Run Locally (Optional)
  • 6. Build the Docker Image
  • 7. Run the Docker Container
• Environment Variables
• Stopping the Bot
• Updating the Bot
• Additional Considerations
  • Security Notes
  • Adjusting the Check Interval
  • Logging and Monitoring
  • Error Handling
• Troubleshooting
• Contributing
• License

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Features

• Periodic IP Monitoring: Checks your external IP address at a configurable interval.
• Discord Integration: Updates a pinned message in a specified Discord channel when the IP changes.
• Broadcast Notifications: Sends a message to notify channel members of IP changes.
• Environment Configuration: Uses a .env file for configuration, keeping sensitive data secure.
• Dockerized: Easily build and run the application within a Docker container.

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Prerequisites

• Go: (Optional for local development) Install Go if you plan to build and run the application locally.
• Docker: Ensure Docker is installed on your system.
• Discord Account: You need a Discord account to create a bot and add it to your server.
• Discord Server: Access to a Discord server where you can add the bot.
• Discord Bot Token and Channel ID: You'll need these to configure the bot.

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Setup Instructions

1. Clone the Repository

Clone the repository to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/ip-monitor.git
cd ip-monitor

2. Create a Discord Bot

1. Go to the Discord Developer Portal: Discord Developer Portal
2. Create a New Application:

• Click on "New Application".
• Enter a name for your application and click "Create".

3. Add a Bot to Your Application:

• Navigate to the "Bot" tab on the left.
• Click "Add Bot" and confirm.

4. Copy the Bot Token:

• Under the bot's username, click "Copy" to copy the bot's token.
• Important: Keep this token secure!

5. Invite the Bot to Your Server:

• Go to the "OAuth2" tab and then "URL Generator".
• Under "Scopes", select "bot".
• Under "Bot Permissions", select the following permissions:
  • Send Messages
  • Manage Messages
  • Read Message History
• Copy the generated URL and paste it into your browser to invite the bot to your server.

6. Get the Channel ID:

• Enable Developer Mode in Discord settings (User Settings > Advanced > Developer Mode).
• Right-click the channel where you want the bot to post and select "Copy ID".

3. Create a .env File

In the project root directory, create a .env file to store your environment variables:

DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=your_bot_token
DISCORD_CHANNEL_ID=your_channel_id

• Replace your_bot_token with the bot token you copied earlier.
• Replace your_channel_id with the ID of the channel where the bot will operate.

Important: Do not share this file or commit it to version control.

4. Install Dependencies

If you plan to build and run the application locally (without Docker), install the required Go packages:

go mod download

5. Build and Run Locally (Optional)

To build and run the application locally without Docker:

go build -o ip-monitor .
./ip-monitor

6. Build the Docker Image

Build the Docker image using the provided Dockerfile:

docker build -t ip-monitor .

7. Run the Docker Container

Run the Docker container, passing the .env file:

docker run -d \
  --name ip-monitor \
  --env-file .env \
  ip-monitor

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Environment Variables

• DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN: Your Discord bot token (required).
• DISCORD_CHANNEL_ID: The ID of the Discord channel where the bot will post messages (required).

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Stopping the Bot

To stop and remove the Docker container:

docker stop ip-monitor
docker rm ip-monitor

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Updating the Bot

If you make changes to the code:

1. Rebuild the Docker Image:

   docker build -t ip-monitor .

2. Restart the Container:

   docker stop ip-monitor
   docker rm ip-monitor
   docker run -d \
     --name ip-monitor \
     --env-file .env \
     ip-monitor

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Additional Considerations

Security Notes

• Protect Your .env File: Ensure your .env file is not committed to version control. It contains sensitive information.
• Environment Variables in Production: For production environments, consider using a secrets manager or setting environment variables directly in your deployment environment.
• Bot Permissions: Ensure your bot has the correct permissions in the Discord channel:
  • Send Messages
  • Manage Messages (to pin messages)
  • Read Message History

Adjusting the Check Interval

• The checkInterval constant in main.go controls how often the application checks for IP changes.

• Default is set to check every 5 minutes:

  const checkInterval = 5 * time.Minute

• Adjust as needed, then rebuild the Docker image.

Logging and Monitoring

• View Logs: To view the application logs, use:

  docker logs -f ip-monitor

• Enhanced Logging: Consider integrating a logging framework like logrus for more advanced logging capabilities.

Error Handling

• The application includes basic error handling.
• For production use, consider implementing retry mechanisms and more sophisticated error handling.

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Troubleshooting

• Bot Not Responding:

  • Verify the bot is online in your Discord server.

  • Ensure the bot has the necessary permissions.

  • Check the logs for errors:

    docker logs ip-monitor

• Environment Variables Not Set:

  • Ensure the DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN and DISCORD_CHANNEL_ID are correctly set in your .env file.
  • Verify that the .env file is in the project root and is correctly formatted.

• Cannot Connect to Discord:

  • Ensure your network allows outbound connections to Discord's API.
  • Check for firewall or network restrictions.

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the Repository

2. Create a Feature Branch

   git checkout -b feature/YourFeature

3. Commit Your Changes

   git commit -m "Add your message here"

4. Push to the Branch

   git push origin feature/YourFeature

5. Open a Pull Request

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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Additional Enhancements (Optional)

If you're interested in extending the functionality of the bot, consider the following enhancements:

Implement a Dynamic DNS Service

• Why: Instead of sharing your raw IP address, use a domain name that updates automatically.
• How: Integrate with a dynamic DNS provider like DuckDNS or No-IP.

Store IP Change History

• Why: Keeping a log of IP changes can be useful for auditing.
• How: Append changes to a local file or store them in a database.

Multiple Notification Channels

• Why: Notify users across different platforms.
• How: Integrate with Slack, Telegram, or send email notifications.

Improve Error Reporting

• How: Use an error tracking service like Sentry to capture and analyze exceptions.

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Acknowledgments

• discordgo: A Go package that provides low-level bindings to the Discord chat client API.

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Contact

• Author: Steven Lawton
• Email: ip-monitor@stevenlawton.com
• GitHub: stevenlawton