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On my Windows7, when I get into the properties of My Computer, I can see that my computer name is compname123. It seems that when I ping or connect (say remote access) to this computer from another computer, I can just write in the hostname compname123 without having to write the IP address. In this sense, the compname123, which is a computer name, is almost like a meaningful hostname that will resolve to the IP address automatically.

But is this really a hostname?

I notice that sometimes when the IP changes, I will not be able to connect from another computer using the computer name for a while. Somehow, though, the computer name will automatically reflect the new IP after some time.

Is my computer name a hostname? Can I even say I want my computer name to be stuck to a certain IP, especially in the case when I'm going to use a static IP? If so, how can I do this?

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    Do you know much about DNS...
    – Dave
    May 22, 2014 at 7:51

1 Answer 1

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is this really a hostname?

The windows computer name is distinct but can, in some circumstances, act as a DNS hostname.

Windows has it's own traditional system of naming which is not DNS. This allows windows computers to communicate by name over TCP/IP even when a DNS server is not present. See NetBIOS naming services.

However when a Windows client obtains an IP-address from a Windows DHCP server in a Windows domain, typically the client computer name is then registered as a host name in the DNS service.

So the computer name isn't really a hostname until it has been registered as such with a naming service.

when the IP changes, I will not be able to connect from another computer using the computer name for a while.

Look up ARP caching.

Open a command prompt and enter arp -a and arp -?.

I want my computer name to be stuck to a certain IP,

Use a DHCP reservation in your DHCP server (based on MAC-address of primary network interface).

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