Troubleshooting TCP/IP connections

Connecting to the Internet


    If you're having problems establishing a connection between an AppleShare IP Server and the Internet, consider the following:
    • Make sure your TCP/IP control panel is configured correctly, including the correct IP address, subnet mask, and physical network connection specified. For instructions, see the "AppleShare IP 6.0 Getting Started" manual.
    • Make sure your physical connections (for example, your ethernet cables) are securely plugged-in throughout your network.
    • Use a TCP/IP utility to "ping" you Internet gateway or router.
    • Make sure you are either directly connected to the Internet using a "gateway" (a device that links local area networks (LANs) to one another and translates data between different kinds of networks), or you have an account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
    • Once you have a connection to the Internet, make sure you've done the following:
    • you've "registered" your network with an appropriate Internet organization so that other computers can find your network and the individual computers on it.
    To register your AppleShare IP network, you need to request to be assigned a "domain name" by the InterNIC (the official Internet registry). A domain name is a name by which you'd like your network to be known on the Internet, such as "apple.com." When you open an account with an ISP, provides you with a registered Internet address, a domain name, and remote access to the ISP's servers (which are connected to the Internet).
    • Make sure you have a Domain Name System (DNS) server on your network, or access to a DNS server through your ISP. Follow the instructions in the "AppleShare IP Getting Started" manual to set up MacDNS, an implementation of a DNS service that comes with AppleShare IP.
    • When you request a domain name, make sure you are assigned a list of IP addresses that will work in your domain.
    • Assign each of the computers on your network that are providing an AppleShare IP service an IP address in the DNS server database, or make sure your ISP has done so.
    • Once you've established your organization's Internet address information and assigned the individual IP addresses to the computers on your network, configure your Open Transport software to enable TCP/IP communication, as described in your "AppleShare IP Getting Started manual.
    • If you're not planning to connect your network to the Internet, you can still set up TCP/IP on your network without obtaining an official Internet address and domain name. In this case you'd assign the computers on your network private IP addresses from a specified range of addresses. For more information, see Setting up a private TCP/IP network.

    the Domain Name System
    Since it would be very tedious for client users to have to remember numeric IP addresses whenever they wanted to send information using TCP/IP, the Domain Name System (DNS) was developed to match numeric IP addresses with more descriptive names.

    The DNS consists of a hierarchy of "domains," or groups of computers on the Internet. Within each domain, the individual users (clients or hosts) on the network have their own unique numeric IP addresses and user names.

    For example, silvia@company.com represents the user, "silvia," in the "company.com" domain. Other common domains include ".edu" for educational organizations, ".gov" for government, and ".org" for non-profits. (Note: To determine the DNS name for your AppleShare IP server, choose Show Network Info from the AppleShare IP Manager's Manager menu.)

    In order for this system to work, each domain needs to have a "name server" to match the numeric IP addresses to their more descriptive counterparts, or "DNS names." Information is shared across domain name servers as needed.

    As the AppleShare IP administrator, if you want your users to be able to enter domain names instead of numeric IP addresses, you need to provide domain name service for the computers on your network–even if your intranet is not connected to the Internet.

    For more information about Mac DNS, the DNS implementation that comes with AppleShare IP, see the "Mac DNS Guide" in the Mac DNS folder inside the AppleShare IP folder on your server's hard disk.


Finding Your Computer's IP Address


    You can find your computer's IP address by checking the Network Info window in the AppleShare IP Manager program. Open AppleShare IP Manager, and choose Show Network Info from the Server menu. Your network administrator or ISP should also be able to tell you your IP address.


Finding Your Domain Name Server's Address


    You can find your network's DNS address by checking the Network Info window in the AppleShare IP Manager program. Or, ask your network administrator in charge of the DNS server on your network, or your ISP.


Setting Up a Private TCP/IP Network

     
    If your TCP/IP network is not connected to the Internet, you can assign any valid IP addresses to the computers on your network without consulting any Internet registry. However, if you think you might connect to the Internet at some time in the future, you should assign numbers from the following blocks
    • 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255: for Class A networks
    • 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.2: for Class B networks
    • 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255 for Class C networks
    An address with all bits set to 0 refers to the network itself. An address with all bits set to 255 is a "broadcast address" and goes to all computers on the network.

    For example:
    • 192.168.0.0 refers to the Class C network 192.168.0.
    • 192.255.0.0 is the broadcast address for the Class C network
    • 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.254 are the addresses of individual computers on the Class C network
    Note: If you plan to connect your network to the Internet later, you should register your domain name with an official Internet registry now. Otherwise, you'll have to change your network's configuration after you register.
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