How to set DNS using Google 8.8.8.8?

Open Network preferences and select the port then click on the Advanced button. Click on the DNS tab. Click on the [+] button to add a DNS to the list. These will take precedence over the default picked up by the router from your ISP. However, whatever DNS you configure it must be accessible. If not then you will find it impossible to navigate the net or the network will return to the default assigned by the DHCP server.

+BTW you should never post a real IP address in the Discussions unless it is a public IP address.+

You would need to add the DNS server address per the previous instructions. The addition must be done for both Ethernet and Airport ports individually. This needs to be done for all computers on the LAN.

Are you running your own DNS server? If so, then you (also) need to set the forwarder IP addresses to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 in your DNS server configuration. See [this|http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/1436].

If you are running your own DNS service (for more than just your local Mac OS X Server box), then your firewall and static-configured NICs and DHCP server settings will all (usually) be aimed at your own DNS server(s).

But the instructions there did not seem to 100% match what I saw on the Server Admin screens.

And the skew being? It's difficult for me to answer this and to address the confusion here without knowing what the difference was.

What I am trying to do is to allow my Mac clients (laptops) to see the server's name instead of IP address

the server now is at 10.0.1.6 on the network (DHCP manual IP) but for example typing " http://myServer.private " (or connecting via COMMAND + K) is meaningless right now.

Which means you need to set up local DNS. Or enable Bonjour / mDNS.

I had set a forward zone to 8.8.8.8 under SERVER ADMIN -> DNS -> SETTINGS -> FORWARDER IP ADDRESSES but I don't see what I am supposed to do (from the above Web page) for the ZONES tab

Your upstream DNS provider (Google or ISP or otherwise) is only relevant to those domains your server is not authoritative for. It does not have anything to do with your local DNS name resolution, and it's the local DNS resolution that's the central goal when running your own DNS server(s).

The ZONES tab now has reverse look up entries:
7.1.0.10.in-addr.arpa. (reverse)
myServer.private (machine entry)

Follow the instructions on that page. Clean out the default DNS zones created when you install Mac OS X Server Snow Leopard on your box. And add your forward zone and all your local host names into your local (private, internal) DNS forward zone.

And I don't use .private for local DNS, or a made-up address. I prefer to get and to register a domain, and use it (only) inside the firewall. Either a domain for internal use, or a subdomain of a registered domain.

BONJOUR is turned off right now

Which means no local mDNS, which means you either need to turn mDNS back on, or you need to set up your own DNS. And if you set up your own DNS, the only component or field or text box or DHCP server or router or client or NIC or whatever -- anything -- that refers to Google is the forwarding DNS server IP address(es) in your DNS server set-up.

Now, I click on ADD ZONE and then ADD PRIMARY ZONE.
Where is the IP address field?

"Nameserver".

Article text updated.

Thanks.