Help with server and airport DNS

Question

Level 1

4 points

Help with server and airport DNS

I have a mac server setup and configured, connecting to the internet through an Airport Express. The Airport Express connects using the static IP given to me by my cable internet provider. Then I added a DHCP reservation for the server.

The airport express's IP address on the local network is 10.0.1.1, and the server's IP address is 10.0.1.57. When I connect my macbook up to the network though, I have to manually add 10.0.1.57 into the DNS servers under Advanced in the Network Settings panel. Is there a way to set 10.0.1.57 to automatically be the DNS server when any computer or device connects up to my Airport Express?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Posted on Apr 15, 2016 2:06 PM

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Answer 1

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

Apr 16, 2016 10:23 AM in response to reallyseth

If I understand the question, you would have to give the server a static address on the local network (not DHCP), and also configure the router to use the server as the primary DNS. It will then hand out that DNS address to DHCP clients.

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Answer 2

Apr 16, 2016 12:21 PM in response to reallyseth

Whatever device is acting as the DHCP server, in your case the Airport Express, will be the device that will configure your client computer's DNS address. So on the Airport Express, under DNS servers, add the IP address of your Mac OS X server, in this case 10.0.1.57.

Now all your client computers will automatically use your Mac OS X Server for DNS services.

Configure your AirPort Express with the address of your DNS server

You client computers will automatically be configured for the correct DNS server.

NOTE: It is highly recommended that you configure your Mac OS X Server using a static address locally on the server and not using DHCP reservation from your router.

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Answer 3

jaydisc

Level 4

1,464 points

Apr 18, 2016 11:31 PM in response to reallyseth

If your AirPort has the address of 10.0.1.1, it is currently acting as a router and is giving out the DHCP. If you set the Airport to use 10.0.1.57 for its "Internet connection", then it will in turn assign that IP address to any DHCP clients.

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Answer 4

reallyseth Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 19, 2016 2:00 PM in response to Gino_Cerullo

So I think this is close to the solution I need, but there's one more piece of information that is making this confusing for me. So currently I have a static IP that I connect to my ISP with (Charter).

Then the router is in "DHCP and NAT" mode on the Network tab.

So I can't change the DNS entries on the Airport Express as they are used to connect to my ISP.

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Answer 5

Apr 19, 2016 2:06 PM in response to jaydisc

jaydisc, he has already assigned 10.0.1.57 to his server and it appears that he wants to use the server to resolve DNS not the router.

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Answer 6

Apr 19, 2016 2:09 PM in response to reallyseth

Try this.

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Answer 7

jaydisc

Level 4

1,464 points

Apr 19, 2016 3:36 PM in response to Gino_Cerullo

Sorry, I meant use 10.0.1.157 for the DNS server of the Internet Connection, as was correctly shown in this screenshot of yours (which I somehow missed on my first pass through the thread):

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