NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Why can't I assign names to devices?
Just installed an R8000 for my home and like most users I want to assign names to the attached devices. Netgear's Genie should be able to maintain a table of names attached to MAC addresses like many other network managers I have worked with in the past. When I purchased my router it didn't even occur to me that in 2017 Netgear would not support this! The first time I was actually able to do this was in the early 1990's.
And just to reduce the nonsense, I understand ARP and I also have many devices where I can't set the device name. In my family of six we have 30+ devices with WiFi access including TVs, cameras, etc. Setting each device name is not the solution. If I have read incorrect information and names can be assigned, I apologize in advance!
7 Replies
The firmware does not permit the renaming of devices this has been posted about before by other people I do not understand why this feature is not there and Genie saids very about the network map in it's manual . Maybe they could add it to the next firmware update.
Have you tried setting up IP address reservations and during this process, you can change the name of the device here. Add and Apply. Does this name change follow into the attached devices section if you try this?
Kralon wrote:
Just installed an R8000 for my home and like most users I want to assign names to the attached devices. Netgear's Genie should be able to maintain a table of names attached to MAC addresses like many other network managers I have worked with in the past.
A little bit lost on the current firmware UI status on the R8000. Initially, we had an Edit option in the Attached Device table - not sure if this allowed editing, permitting to override the device DHCP client provided one.
"Genie" is a little bit vague - the same name is used for the router Web management interface, to the Windows and mac OS App, and to mobile App.
On the Genie App it is possible to rename discovered attachd devices from the Network Map - click-and-hold a device -> [Details] -> and edit the Custom Name ... on the R9000 here, this is reflected in the Attached Device (follwing a page reload). The crux is ... you can't remove the custom name, once set, it's there forever, you can never return to the DHCP client provided ones.
On the R9000, in the Attached Devices view, we can click on the device icon to the left, and edit the name among some QoS priorities, too.
@FURRYNUTZ wrote:Have you tried setting up IP address reservations and during this process, you can change the name of the device here. Add and Apply. Does this name change follow into the attached devices section if you try this?
On the R9000 it does not.
Kralon wrote:
... like many other network managers I have worked with in the past.
In my opinion, Netgear has a long way to go.
Certainly mising is a much more single point to manage DHCP reservations, Attached devices ... and last but not least a DNS server for a private local domain, where all names registered by the DHCP request reps. custom renamed are added as A resp. PTR records automatically.
I see. Seems that even on my 7800, it's not entirely working. I did add one reservation and changed the name. It is reported by attached devices as such. I changed the names of both of my two Nest units and attached devices is not displaying the new name. Seems to work sometimes but not all. :smileyfrustrated:
@FURRYNUTZ wrote:I see. Seems that even on my 7800, it's not entirely working. I did add one reservation and changed the name. It is reported by attached devices as such. I changed the names of both of my two Nest units and attached devices is not displaying the new name. Seems to work sometimes but not all. :smileyfrustrated:
Yes - perfectly fits to my observations with earlier Netgear DSL routers, earlier Nighthawks, and the pretty much current R9000.
Attached Devices the routers never communicate with almost never show up in any list, ie. the S8000 Nighthawk Switch (GS808E).
Sending emails almost every other day to Taiwan. The performance in replies by the Netgear PM is good, the performance on issues fixed or attempted fixes is awfully bad. Netgear must change something basic in their co-operation with the ODM. I would have lost my patience months ago when I would be in Netgear position and would have sent this ODM managers and engineers with a one way ticket to the moon and spread the bad reference as wide ss I could....but not before things are working as specified, unpaid of course.
Ya, I've seen this before as well with other routers.
Also I feel there is a handshaking issue between the routers and client devices. Sometimes HostNames are not populated or I suppose what the router is looking for and the device respondes with is a factor as well. I seem some devices don't have host names so I see alot of "unknowns" listed in the DCHP server side. Sometimes if you are able to enter in a host name on the client device, then routers can get this information from the device and post it on the router table. Ya...all academic though. Experiences differ. :smileyfrustrated:
