Mac OS X Server v10.6: Server may not receive DHCP-supplied network settings with default firewall rules

Products Affected

Mac OS X Server 10.6, Mac mini (Mac OS X Server), Mac mini Server (Mid 2010)

Symptoms

Mac OS X Server v10.6 may not receive an IP address for an AirPort or Ethernet network interface if the Firewall service is enabled using the default firewall rules.

  • If the interface is configured to use DHCP then it will not receive an IP address or other network configuration information.
  • If the interface is configured to use DHCP with manual address, the interface will have the desired IP address but will not receive its subnet mask, router, DNS Server, or Search Domain settings from the DHCP server.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, allow DHCP and NetBoot client traffic in the Firewall rules. You will need to enable this for each network interface that will receive network configuration information from a DHCP service.

If there are multiple interfaces that receive network configuration settings via DHCP, you can choose "any" from the "Editing services for:" pop-up menu. 

The following screenshot will help you locate the DHCP and NetBoot client rule in the Firewall settings.

 

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