How can I stop Mac OS X overriding my hostname when I receive a DHCP request on Snow Leopard?
Whenever I go on a network where the DHCP server assigns hostnames then it overrides the settings I've set for my hostname on my Mac in the "Sharing" section of System Preferences.
How do I stop this behaviour from occurring and always have the same hostname set under Snow Leopard?
Solution 1:
In short: there is an auto-magic behavior that Mac OS uses, by default.
You can turn it off in /etc/hostconfig.
http://excitedcuriosity.wordpress.com/2007/08/24/mac-os-x-hostname-determination/
I like the answer by Jack M., but it doesn't work in many environments of the real-world DHCP environments, because you do not have a pre-existing relationship with the DHCP server. Only in a home setup or a corporate setup (where the IT people are helpful), can you get your desired hostname via DHCP.
In /etc/hostconfig add something like this:
HOSTNAME=your_hostname.your_domain.your_tld
If you want to set it at automatic again, either remove the line or set it to -AUTOMATIC-
Solution 2:
Set it in the Terminal with:
sudo scutil --set HostName <putinyourhostname_or_fqdn_here>
like in:
sudo scutil --set HostName server1.mynetwork.com
Solution 3:
Depending on how your DHCP is set up, you may be able to use the "DHCP client ID".
- System Preferences.
- Network
- Select your network adapter on the left.
- Select "Advanced" button at the bottom.
- Set the "DHCP client ID" to your hostname.
If your DHCP server supports it, your hostname will be used for your machine.
Solution 4:
Actually it's not related to DHCP. OS X checks the reverse DNS record of your IP and if there's one it's applied as your hostname.