How-to: Rename a Client's Hostname

Introduction  

This article explains how to rename a client's hostname in the Cisco Meraki dashboard and restore the automatically detected hostname. Cisco Meraki devices identify client hostnames using NetBIOS, Bonjour, and DHCP protocols.  

Renaming client hostnames helps administrators identify client devices more easily in the dashboard. Manually renaming can be useful in the following scenarios: 

• Two devices on the same network with identical hostnames 

• A device is identified by its MAC address 

Prerequisites  

• Access to the dashboard administrator role.  

• The client device is available on the dashboard. 

Step-by-step instructions  

To manually edit the hostname, perform the following steps: 

1. Navigate to Network-wide > Monitor > Clients.  

2. Choose the client from the list to modify.  

3. Click the pencil icon next to the hostname on the Client Details page.  

4. Edit the Name field with the desired hostname.  

5. Click Save. 

To restore the automatically assigned hostname, perform the following steps: 

1. Navigate to Network-wide > Monitor > Clients.  

2. Choose the client from the list to modify.  

3. Click the pencil icon next to the hostname on the Client Details page.  

4. Delete the contents of the Name field and leave it blank.  

5. Click Save. 

Verification 

After saving the changes, verify that the updated hostname is displayed on the Client Details page and in the client list. 

Additional information 

The client’s hostname is determined in the following order of preference: 

1. User-specified Name  

2. mDNS Name (Bonjour)  

3. NetBIOS Name  

4. DHCP Hostname