Apple Workgroup Server 8550 - Manual (Page 29)

6 If you have the IP address for a router, type it in the “Router address”
box.
A router is a device that directs information along the most efficient or
appropriate network path. It connects two or more network cables, thereby
allowing computers and other network devices on each cable to
communicate with each other. The router maintains a table that contains
the address of each device on each network. When a packet of information
reaches the router, the router checks the destination address on the packet
and sends it to the cable on which the destination device resides.
If you have a dial-up connection to the Internet using SLIP (Serial Line
Internet Protocol) or PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) software, you do not
need to enter a router address.
7 If you have the IP address of a name server, type it in the “Name server
addr” box.
A name server is a computer that associates a computer’s name (called a
host name) with an IP address. By associating names with IP addresses,
users don’t have to remember IP addresses when they need to identify a
particular computer. For example, an E-mail message can be addressed to
“john@planetX” (if “planetX” is the host name of John’s computer) instead
of “[email protected]” (if 140.140.54.2 is the IP address of John’s computer).
Before the mail application sends the message, it asks the name server to
find the IP address of “planetX.”
You can enter more than one name server address in the “Name server
addr” box. (The first address that you enter becomes your default name
server.) Press Return after each address. You can specify as many name
servers as you want as long as you do not type more than 255 characters.
8 If you have created a hosts file and want to use it, click the Select Hosts
File button. (The Select Hosts File button appears only when the control
panel is in Advanced or Administration mode.) Otherwise, go to step 9.
A dialog box appears that allows you to locate a hosts file that already
exists. When you locate the hosts file that you want to use, select its name
and click the Open button. A dialog box appears that asks you if you want
to replace the current hosts file with the contents of the selected hosts file.
Click the OK button.
29