• Section: Merchant Services
  • Last updated: May 21, 2019, 1:01 p.m.

Rendezvous and Networking (Mac only)

As helpful as TCP/IP has proven itself to be, its configuration needs can sometimes be a challenge for average users. A computer needs an IP address to communicate with other devices using TCP/IP. Sometimes even more information, like a subnet mask, DNS addresses, a DNS name and preconfigured search paths are needed to make a connection. Grasping the importance of these details and successfully negotiating the setup process can be a daunting task.

Fortunately, the Rendezvous/Bonjour technology in Mac OS X greatly simplifies the setup process for TCP/IP networks. Rendezvous is a technology that connects computers automatically, without any IP address configuration on the part of the user. Whenever a computer is added to an existing TCP/IP network, Rendezvous senses the network’s settings and instantly prepares the computer for use with that network by giving it an IP address and special Rendezvous name. All computers using Rendezvous can communicate with each other simply by browsing for their Rendezvous names in the Finder’s "Connect To Server" window.

Rendezvous is not a requirement for the AccountEdge network; you can choose to configure direct IP settings between your computers and your network, if you wish.