Connecting to your Server

Set up the address and names that identify your server on the network.

Use the Connecting to Your Server pane to set up names that others use to connect to your server.

Option	Description
Computer Name	This appears in the AirDrop or Sharing 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: The assistant can’t find a DNS server on your intranet or the Internet that’s configured correctly for your server. Your server received the wrong network connection settings from a DHCP server, which may be your Internet router. Your intranet doesn’t have a DHCP server, so you must enter your server’s network connection settings manually. For information about how DNS servers must be configured, see the options below. If your server received the wrong network connection settings from a DHCP server, or if your intranet doesn’t have a DHCP server, you can set up one up, or change your server’s network connection settings in the Change Network pane. 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 a private network: To let users access this server by using its host name on your intranet and by using a VPN connection from the Internet, enter a host name ending with .private, such as server.example.private. If your intranet has a DNS server, it 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 records for forward lookup (an A record) and reverse lookup (a PTR record). Ask your DNS server administrator to configure these DNS records for your server. 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. 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 records for forward lookup (an A record) and 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: If your server gets its Internet connection from a router with DHCP, such as an AirPort Base Station, you can configure the router’s DHCP to always assign the same IP address to your server. This feature is also called “static mapping” or “DHCP reservations.” If your network has a different DHCP server, ask the administrator to configure static mapping for your server. If your server has a direct Internet connection, for example through a DSL modem or cable modem that isn’t a router, get a static (fixed) IP address from your ISP. If necessary, you can usually upgrade to one for a fee. If your server isn’t connected to the Internet and your intranet doesn’t have a DHCP server, click Change Network to manually enter a static IP address.
Change Network	Click to change the server’s network address or other network connection settings.

Your Mac 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 derived by default from the computer name. To change it, use the Server app after finishing server setup. (Select your server, then choose the Network pane.)