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How to rename your Mac's Network name?

sniffs

sniffs

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 24, 2013
190
6
So on my router's client list, my Macbook Pro shows up as "Name-MBP", my Macbook air shows up as "NameLastnameMacBookAir" and I'd like to rename it.

I've tried going into Preferences - Sharing and that's not where these names are coming from.

How can I rename how my mac shows up on my network?
 
Can’t you set up DHCP reservations for your devices, with their respective MAC-addresses, in your router and their give them the names you want them to have? It’s how it works for me in my network.
 
Lioness~ said:
Can’t you set up DHCP reservations for your devices, with their respective MAC-addresses, in your router and their give them the names you want them to have? It’s how it works for me in my network.
Click to expand...

I can, but I'd like to know how it's done via the OS. I'm OCD :D

[doublepost=1530241680][/doublepost]
triptolemus said:
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH25384?locale=en_US
Click to expand...

That's not it, I've tried that.. The name I'm referring to is the name that shows up when you log into your WIFI router and poke around the wireless settings.

In System Preferences - Sharing, both my Macbook Pro and Macbook Air names are like this,

MyName-Macbook-Pro.local
MyName-Macbook-Air.local

yet in my client list on my router it's,

MyName-MBP (static IP)
MyNameLastnameMacbookAir (static IP)

Hell even my iPhone says

MyName-iPhone

yet my wife's iPhone just says "iPhone"
 
You can’t get access to your router from macOS?

I do it from Airport Tool as I have a few of Apple’s routers.
But if you have something else, wouldn’t it be possible to get into the routers settings via a website?
I do that with the router that gets the broadband into my 1st Extreme.

I think it’s how you do it for your networks name to show up. Going into Preferences- Sharing is not the devices networks name, but the local network.
It’s how I understand it anyway.
 
I can.. it's a brand new ASUS RT-AC68U. Has all kinds of features. I'm cleaning up the wireless list and setting up static IP's so things are arranged better.

Just kinda ugly when it says Name-MBP, FirstnameLastnameMacbookAir. I'd like to rename it Name-MBA.. I can totally do this via the router, but that's cheating lol.. there's got to be a way to do it via the OS. The router is getting the name from somewhere..
 
No, router is making it up if you haven’t set it up.
It’s no cheating, it’s organizing. You need to take the time to set up the MAC-adresses, then you’ll have it neatly organized. :)
 
Last edited:
So this ASUS router is new. My previous router had these EXACT same names, and when I switched all my wireless devices over to the new router, it also had these same names. The chance of both routers using the same name for 22 wireless devices would be astronomically high.

There's gotta be a way via the OS!! :D
 
sniffs said:
I can, but I'd like to know how it's done via the OS. I'm OCD :D

[doublepost=1530241680][/doublepost]

That's not it, I've tried that.. The name I'm referring to is the name that shows up when you log into your WIFI router and poke around the wireless settings.

In System Preferences - Sharing, both my Macbook Pro and Macbook Air names are like this,

MyName-Macbook-Pro.local
MyName-Macbook-Air.local

yet in my client list on my router it's,

MyName-MBP (static IP)
MyNameLastnameMacbookAir (static IP)

Hell even my iPhone says

MyName-iPhone

yet my wife's iPhone just says "iPhone"
Click to expand...
Restart your router.
System Preferences > Sharing > Computer Name is where you change it
 
In Sharing - Computer Name, here's what shows,

upload_2018-6-28_20-50-4.png


In my router, here's what shows,

upload_2018-6-28_20-51-6.png


So where is "Name-MBP" coming from if my computer name is "Name Macbook Pro (210)"??
 
Have you restarted your mac after changing the name in Sharing?
Restart required to updated DHCP tables within router.
 
Enter the following in Terminal:
scutil --get HostName (press Enter)
scutil --get LocalHostName (press Enter)
scutil --get ComputerName (press Enter)

See if any the results are the name you want to change. If it is, you can set by entering:
sudo scutil --set HostName (or LocalHostName or ComputerName) DESIRED_NAME
 
On my router you login to the settings page then go to network map where it shows all devices on the network. Then I click on the device and it shows details. Click on edit and it lets me change the name of the device to whatever I want. This on a Linksys router, not sure if it’s the same process for Asus
 
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