Feature Request - Mark mDNS lower in priority in client hostname retrieval

[dmiss]

Clients are randomly getting named in dashboard based off of mDNS. I put in a ticket and 'make a wish' in Oct 2019. Now more and more devices named this way and I cannot rename thousands of devices manually. 

Current order of retrieval in Meraki. 

1. User Defined

2. MDNS

3. NetBios

4. DHCP Hostname

Let's make mDNS lower than DHCP hostname OR allow this to be customized by administrators. 

[PhilipDAth]

When you make a wish also make sure you say what problem you are trying to solve and why.

[raltschwager]

We can't identify devices.  I have to look at Meraki, then find the device IP, then look at DHCP and find the hostname.  If #4 were #2 on this list, the information would be dramatically more useful.

[pcuykendall]

Since mDNS is above netbios/DHCP hostnames my Clients page has turned into a mess.  I have a naming standard for Windows/Macs that clearly tells me what computer/user it is.  Now I have loads of mDNS names which are just an unhelpful alphanumeric string.  Like the comment above I have to use other ways to identify systems when I only see mDNS hostnames.  One compelling reason we went with Meraki is what use to be easy to identify client list.

[PhilipDAth]

Not the solution you want - but is there a way to get your hosts to broadcast the correct name using mDNS - or to disable mDNS?  Perhaps a policy setting you could change on the host?

[pcuykendall]

I have figured that out yet but doesn't seem to be an easy way to do disable mDNS for Windows/Mac hosts so they don't show up in the Clients page.  If I find something that works I'll post it here.  

[PhilipDAth]

Have you got the Windows firewall zone set to "Private" or "Domain"?  I checked, and my machine shows up with the correct name.

[PhilipDAth]

I found several articles on Google saying that to disable mDNS on Windows:

There is a registry key that can be used to stop mDNS, under

"HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters" create a DWORD "EnableMDNS" with the value of "0"

[raltschwager]

We have that set now in our environment - "Turn off multicast name resolution" to enabled, which has other security benefits.  Unfortunately, the damage is done for every system that previously connected to Meraki.  I've been manually updating names when I'm in there and looking for systems.  As a secondary request, it would be great to delete clients and let them get redetected so the name is correct.  I wouldn't mind loosing the client history if that were the tradeoff.  Thanks for your suggestions!

[GIdenJoe]

You can forget clients.