Set up content cache clients, peers, or parents

On larger networks it is important to ensure that a content cache receives requests only from clients that are nearby. You can specify ranges of client IP addresses that a content cache is best positioned to serve, and optionally make it exclusive to those clients by choosing the “devices using custom local networks” option.

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sharing.

2. Select Content Caching, then press and hold the Option key and click Advanced Options.

3. Click Clients.

4. Click the “Cache content for” pop-up menu, then choose one of the following options:

   • Devices using the same public IP address

   • Devices using the same local networks

   • Devices using custom local networks

   • Devices using custom local networks with fallback

5. If you chose “devices using custom local networks” or “devices using custom local networks with fallback,” click the Add button , then enter a range of local IP addresses of clients.

   Repeat for any additional IP address ranges you want to enter.

6. Click the “My local networks” pop-up menu, then choose one of the following:

   • Use one public IP address

   • Use custom public IP addresses

7. If you chose “use custom public IP addresses,” click the Add button , then enter a range of local IP addresses.

   Repeat for any additional IP address ranges you want to enter.

   After you enter the address ranges, if you need to create a DNS TXT record, click the DNS Configuration button. For more information, see Generate a DNS text record.

8. Click OK.

If you make changes to the client settings, you might want to restart the client devices. Client devices automatically discover changes, but it takes some time. However, if you restart the client devices, they will discover the changes immediately.

For more information, see Content caching client options.

You can use multiple content caches for your network. Content caches on the same network are called peers, and they share content with each other.

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sharing.

2. Select Content Caching, then press and hold the Option key and click Advanced Options.

3. Click Peers.

4. Click the “Share content with” pop-up menu, then choose one of the following options:

   • Content caches using the same public IP address

   • Content caches using the same local networks

   • Content caches using custom local networks

5. If you chose “content caches using custom local networks,” click the Add button , then enter a range of local IP addresses of peer content caches.

   Repeat for any additional IP address ranges you want to enter.

6. Click OK.

For more information, see Content caching peer options.

You can arrange your content caches in a hierarchy. These content caches are called parents, and they provide content to their children.

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sharing.

2. Select Content Caching, then press and hold the Option key and click Advanced Options.

3. Click Parents.

4. Click the Add button , then enter the local IP address of a parent content cache.

   Repeat for any additional IP addresses you want to enter.

5. Select a parent policy.

6. Click OK.

For more information, see Content caching parent options.