Connect to your server
Use the Connecting to Your Server pane to set up names that others use to connect to your server.
Computer Name | This name appears in the AirDrop or Shared sections of the Finder sidebar on other Mac computers. Other computers can use the computer name to connect to your server for file sharing or screen sharing, if it has these services turned on. |
Host Name | The server setup assistant tries to determine the host name for you from an available DNS server on the network. Here are some reasons why the server setup assistant might not be able to determine your server’s host name:
If you enter a host name, follow these guidelines: Host name for a local network: To let users access your server only from your intranet, enter a host name ending with .local, such as server.local. This is a local network name, also called a local hostname. Only computers on your local IP subnet can access your server by using its local network name. Usually, computers on the same subnet have IP addresses that begin with the same three sets of numbers—for example, 192.168.1. Windows computers must have Bonjour Print Services for Windows installed. It’s available at support.apple.com/kb/DL999. If the server’s host name is its local network name, the server doesn’t support Kerberos or single sign-on authentication. Host name for the internet: To let users access your server by using the same host name on the internet and your intranet, enter the host name you registered with a domain name registrar. The DNS servers you use for the internet must be configured to use the server’s host name to look up its IP address and vice versa. This means the DNS server must have a record for forward lookup (an A record) and a record for reverse lookup (a PTR record). Ask your ISP or DNS hosting service to configure these DNS records for you. If your intranet has a DNS server, it also must be configured with records for forward lookup and reverse lookup. Ask your intranet DNS server administrator to configure these DNS records for you. If your intranet doesn’t have a DNS server, the server setup assistant configures your server to provide minimal DNS service so users can use your server’s host name on your intranet. Note: Select a host name carefully. Changing the host name later can be disruptive, especially to users. For example, users must reconfigure their computers and tell others their email addresses have changed. |
Network Address | The numeric IP address that uniquely identifies your server on the network. The network address might be set initially to the IP address your server receives from the DHCP server on your network. Click Change Network to change the network address. Your server should always have the same IP address, so other users can connect to it reliably. If your server’s IP address changes, users might not be able to connect to it. Here are ways to keep your server’s IP address from changing:
|
Change Network | Click to change the server’s network address or other network connection settings. |
Your server also has a local hostname, such as server.local, which isn’t shown in this pane and isn’t registered with any DNS server. Computers on the same intranet (IP subnet) as your server can use its local hostname instead of the registered host name to connect to your server. The local hostname is normally derived from the computer name. To change it, use the Server app after finishing server setup. (Select your server, then choose the Network pane.)