System information
35Chapter 2 Getting Ready for Mac OS X Server
Setting Up DHCP for Your Server
Most users’ computers are congured by default to get network addresses from a DHCP
server on the local network. The DHCP server for your network needs to be congured
to provide network addresses, including an IP address for each computer, the IP
address of the router or gateway for your network, and IP addresses of one or two
DNS servers for your network. If your DHCP server needs any conguration changes,
you’ll nd information about them in the Mac OS X Server Next Steps document that’s
generated and placed on the server’s desktop after initial setup.
Protecting a Small Network
If you have an AirPort Extreme Base Station (802.11n), a Time Capsule, a cable router,
a DSL router, another network router, or a gateway that shares an Internet connection
among computers on your local network, that device isolates your local network
from the Internet. These Internet-sharing devices protect your local network against
malicious attacks from the Internet by blocking communications that originate outside
the local network. Computers on the Internet can’t access your server unless you
congure your AirPort Extreme Base Station, Time Capsule, router, or gateway to allow
access to specic services.
Note: You can allow users with accounts on your server to get secure remote access to
all its services via the Internet. After nishing initial server setup, use Server Preferences
to turn on VPN service. For more information, see “Managing VPN Service” on page 145.