So how templates are set up in the dashboard doesn't fit want I want to do with them. So instead I have a "-Template" Network with basic settings I want assigned to all new networks and I customize and build from there. The downside is even thou I believe I removed all signed of the "Template" name, it is still showing as the network name in Windows and I can not seem to find out where in Meraki it is getting that name from. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Solved! Go to solution.
Indeed, I went ahead and tested it for you.
I disabled my wired ethernet adapter (which in Windows had received the name of my SSID).
I searched my registry for all instances of that name. Found one:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles\{some_id_string_generated_by_windows}]
Removed the whole key.
Enabled the wired ethernet adapter again.
Network is now simply called "Network".
Then I connected the PC to my SSID again and the name changed again to the original name.
So just connecting to an SSID with the non-template name will probably be enough to overwrite the name (assuming the MAC-address of the DHCP server is identical of course).
It may be cached somewhere from when the SSID still contained that in its name. The MAC-address of the router hasn't changed so even if you're connected to the wired network it detects that the MAC-address of the default gateway is the same and it uses the SSID as the network name.
Check out this post:
https://superuser.com/questions/1316481/how-does-windows-decide-the-name-of-ethernet-lan
That is definitely eye opening. I will need to take a better look but I think this may be the problem. So in theory this should only effect my PC that I used for connectivity and functionality testing but once equipment is deployed all new computers should see the new/current network name?
Indeed, I went ahead and tested it for you.
I disabled my wired ethernet adapter (which in Windows had received the name of my SSID).
I searched my registry for all instances of that name. Found one:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles\{some_id_string_generated_by_windows}]
Removed the whole key.
Enabled the wired ethernet adapter again.
Network is now simply called "Network".
Then I connected the PC to my SSID again and the name changed again to the original name.
So just connecting to an SSID with the non-template name will probably be enough to overwrite the name (assuming the MAC-address of the DHCP server is identical of course).