Setup guide

Setup 1 — Single Network

One building, one network: put the server on the same LAN as the screens, give it a fixed IP, and point every player at that IP. No domain, no port forwarding, no certificate authority. This is the setup for a bar, gym, restaurant or single office.

How it fits together

Internet
   |
[ Router / firewall ]  192.168.1.1
   |
[ Switch ]
   |-- Signage server     192.168.1.10  (reserved)
   |-- Player: lobby TV   192.168.1.x   (DHCP is fine)
   |-- Player: bar TV     192.168.1.x
   |-- Player: patio TV   192.168.1.x
   |-- Your laptop        opens http://192.168.1.10 or http://signage.local

Step by step

  1. Reserve the server’s address. In the router’s DHCP settings, add a reservation tying the server’s MAC address to one IP outside the busy range, e.g. 192.168.1.10. A reservation beats typing a static IP on the server: if you ever replace the router, the server still gets an address.
  2. Give it a name (optional). The server announces signage.local on the LAN via mDNS. Most players and laptops resolve it with no setup. If a device can’t, use the IP.
  3. Build the server per 5 · Build the Server. Skip the DNS, port-forward and Let’s Encrypt steps; they’re for setups 2 and 3.
  4. Build the players per 6 · Build the Players. At the pairing screen enter http://192.168.1.10 (or http://signage.local).
  5. Wire, don’t Wi-Fi, where you can. A player on Ethernet downloads a 200 MB video in seconds and never drops. On Wi-Fi, place it within clear sight of an access point and expect slower first loads.

HTTP or HTTPS on a single LAN?

On a closed LAN with no guest access, plain HTTP between players and server is acceptable. If guests share the network (customer Wi-Fi on the same LAN), turn on HTTPS: the installer can issue a self-signed certificate and players trust it at pairing. Better still, move guests to their own VLAN or SSID so they can’t see the screens at all.

Outbound internet

The server needs outbound internet for news and weather tickers and for license activation. Players don’t need internet at all in this setup; they only talk to the server.

When you outgrow this

Add a second building, a separate guest network, or a remote office, and you’re in 2 · Large Property (Glen Eden) territory. You keep the same server; you add a domain name and a way in.