Naming on network

[willie45]

Hi

I am using a wired adsl modem router, the Netgear DG834. I am running an iMac and MBP on this network. In addition there is a Dell desktop and laptop running windows which connect. I have a fairly simple question. Can anyone tell me how to give my imac a name which the netgear router recognises? It keeps coming up as unknown ( as do the windows machines) The MBP comes up as MACINTOSH but I feel that this is because I use it on a windows network in my office and it has been given a Netbios name. (I'm way out of my knowledge comfort zone here but I read something to this effect somewhere )

Anyway I would really like to know which mac is mine easily without having to remember MAC addresses etc so that I can apply some rules to the computers via site blocking in the router.

Sorrry if this is a bit garbled but I'm not too knowledgable about these things

Thanks in advance

Willie

 

[swiftaw]

System Preferences->Sharing->Computer Name

 

[willie45]

System Preferences->Sharing->Computer Name

This is what I don't understand. I have done this and named it, not very originally, "iMac" When I share files between the two the hames apppear on the macs but when I am connected to the internet, they don't come up on the router. I would like to be able to id them on the router by name if possible. If that's not possible, then I will just have to use the MAC address I suppose.

Willie

Edit: I suppose my problem is that each of the macs recognise each other but the router doesn't and just calls them "UNKNOWN" I would like to give the macs names on the network that the router would recognise

 

[swiftaw]

Edit: I suppose my problem is that each of the macs recognise each other but the router doesn't and just calls them "UNKNOWN" I would like to give the macs names on the network that the router would recognise

It's probably a limitation of the router.

 

[willie45]

All right. Thanks for your help

Willie

 

[sreedy]

It's probably a limitation of the router.

Yeah my Work and Home NetGear routers always come up with unknown, can you assign a name to the Mac Address within the Router Config?

 

[willie45]

Yeah my Work and Home NetGear routers always come up with unknown, can you assign a name to the Mac Address within the Router Config?

Yes I was wondering if I should try that. I don't know much about this stuff so didn't want to mess up any settings by doing that. I wondered if I reserved an IP address for the iMac could I give it a name at the same time

Willie

 

[jeffmc]

if DNS caching is enabled on the router and they still show up as unknown, unplug the router for 5-10 seconds and plug it back in and it should populate

 

[simie]

Try changing the characters of the computer name to upppercase and see what the router throws back at you. If this fails then try imac in lower case.

 

[willie45]

Thanks folks. I will try these suggestions

Willie