[jstrauss]

I've given my MacBook Pro a reserved IP address on our DHCP server, but the weirdest thing is happening:

When I open up a shell console, my computer name (SenorStrauss) is listed as a completely different computer (card-catalog2). Anybody know why this would be happening?


Last login: Wed Mar 7 10:32:59 on console <--sometimes "console" is ttyp2
Welcome to Darwin!
card-catalog2:~ jstrauss$


Thanks for your help!

[ginoledesma]

Mmm... many possibilities:

* Type "hostname" to find out what your Mac really thinks
* Could be that your DNS server has that name associated with the iP you're giving out (check forward and reverse DNS entires, too)
* Shell profile (~/.bash_profile, ~/.bashrc) set to override it?

[jstrauss]

ginoledesma,

"hostname" tells me card-catalog2. i don't see ~/.bash_profile or ~/.bashrc. anything else i can do, or you can think of?

[ginoledesma]

Yes. Given your IP address (e.g. 10.1.2.3), try this:

dig -x 10.1.2.3

This will cause your Mac to ask its DNS servers what the forward name server entry is for that IP Address. Another way of doing this is to run Network Utility:
1. choose "Lookup"
2. type in your IP Address (e.g. 10.1.2.3)
3. select "Host Name for Address"
4. Click "Lookup"

In both cases, something like the following will be shown:

; <<>> DiG 9.2.4 <<>> -x 10.1.2.3
;; global options: printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 53404
;; flags: qr aa rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 2, ADDITIONAL: 2

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;3.2.1.10.in-addr.arpa. IN PTR

;; ANSWER SECTION:
3.2.1.10.in-addr.arpa. 604800 IN PTR genux.local.

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
3.2.1.10.in-addr.arpa. 604800 IN NS ns1.local.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
ns1.local. 60 IN A 10.1.1.1

In this case, my Mac gets the name "genux.local" (regardless of what's in my Network/Sharing preference) because that's what DNS gives out.

[Big Mac]

Your network is provided by a library, right?

[__^^__]

Are you sure you haven't picked up somebody elses's MacBook instead of yours?

[jstrauss]

you know what i think it could be - that my dns isn't configured correctly. i'm not getting any NS from dig, only PTR. i'm going to double and triple check network settings and i'll get back to you all.

btw - today my hostname is rm004.

[ginoledesma]

If you aren't concerned with using internal hosts on said network, you can always opt to use OpenDNS's name servers.