How to dictate Network Name

[TimBisel]

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.

[BrechtSchamp]

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

[TimBisel]

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? 

[BrechtSchamp · Accepted 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).

[TimBisel]

Thanks for the help. Because of how I have been deploying some of these networks, mine and my Systems Admin's computers where showing "Template" for a lot of locations, looked like amateur hour and at least now I know it only looks that way for us.