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Solved
MAC Address to Device Name / Hostname
I saw a previous discussion from a few years ago but never saw an answer.
I have three APs (WBE710 and a WAX610Y) all insight managed for now. They only show the device's MAC address. How can I change this to show an actual device name that I'll have to create elsewhere?
If I log into a WBE710 directly, go to connected clients, I can see for example my iphone. MAC, IP, Hostname, OS....it looks like I can edit the hostname to whatever, but seems to be blocked as Insight has control.
- Can this be edited in Insight?
- Can this only be done if I kill off Insight?
- Would this only be in effect on that specific AP? If I roam to another AP would that name follow?
- SonicWall is my router and providing DHCP, this coming from SonicWall, ie I need to create address objects...and assign a name in that?
Welcome back @ Ischwenk
Very different, what you see on the Insight connected devices is coming from the host name configured on these clients.
Don't know why some vendors think that showing the MAC address as a text string instead of the host name configured in the device, and submitted as a part of the DHCP process - and -not- carry forward the configured hostname - that's why the Netgear devices or eg Insight does show that info. Complain in Cupertino or with the other device makers...
2 Replies
Welcome back @ Ischwenk
Very different, what you see on the Insight connected devices is coming from the host name configured on these clients.
Don't know why some vendors think that showing the MAC address as a text string instead of the host name configured in the device, and submitted as a part of the DHCP process - and -not- carry forward the configured hostname - that's why the Netgear devices or eg Insight does show that info. Complain in Cupertino or with the other device makers...
So basically unless maker added an option to identify the device....we're screwed. But I also think Netgear isn't helping. Example, if I do a network scan from my iphone (IT Tools - Network Analyzer), I see all my Sonos speakers and they are identified by the "Room Name" I gave them, not just by MAC. So that information is being passed only Insight isn't picking it up or isn't connecting the dots.
My old Deco wifi allowed me to edit each device to give it a meaningful name so I could easily see what was connected to which AP; so it created a cross-reference table. That is what I was hoping for when I look at the WB710 and saw I could edit the host name but then saw Insight was blocking that feature.
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