Why does macOS set my DHCP hostname different than my hostname
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Given the following:
scutil --get ComputerName // Dan's MacBook Pro
scutil --get HostName // Dans-Macbook-Pro
scutil --get LocalHostName // Dans-Macbook-Pro
Why on earth, if I do a
sudo tcpdump -c30 -vn -i en0 port 67 or port 68
and toggle WiFi to check DHCP requests, does macOS do:
➜ ~ sudo tcpdump -c30 -vn -i en0 port 67 or port 68
tcpdump: listening on en0, link-type EN10MB (Ethernet), snapshot length 524288 bytes
01:55:46.692745 IP (tos 0x0, ttl 255, id 61100, offset 0, flags [none], proto UDP (17), length 328)
0.0.0.0.68 > 255.255.255.255.67: BOOTP/DHCP, Request from 3a:35:ca:31:4e:fc, length 300, xid 0x53a1e874, Flags [none]
Client-Ethernet-Address 3a:35:ca:31:4e:fc
Vendor-rfc1048 Extensions
Magic Cookie 0x63825363
DHCP-Message (53), length 1: Request
Parameter-Request (55), length 13:
Subnet-Mask (1), Classless-Static-Route (121), Default-Gateway (3), Domain-Name-Server (6)
Domain-Name (15), Unknown (108), URL (114), Unknown (119)
Unknown (162), Unknown (252), LDAP (95), Netbios-Name-Server (44)
Netbios-Node (46)
MSZ (57), length 2: 1500
Client-ID (61), length 7: ether 3a:35:ca:31:4e:fc
Requested-IP (50), length 4: 192.168.50.24
Lease-Time (51), length 4: 7776000
**Hostname (12), length 3: "Mac"** <---- hostname "Mac" here
Asked by Dan
(624 rep)
Jul 18, 2025, 06:21 AM
Last activity: Jul 18, 2025, 02:53 PM
Last activity: Jul 18, 2025, 02:53 PM