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Knowledge document #791

Network device cannot be renamed

Computers, smartphones, and other network devices listed in the home network overview in the FRITZ!Box user interface cannot be renamed. When you try to rename a device, the FRITZ!Box may display the error message:

"The name contains illegal characters. Computer names may contain only letters (a-z, A-Z), numerals (0-9), and hyphens (-). The name may not be made up of numerals only."

Note:All instructions on configuration and settings given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box.

1 Name contains illegal characters

Remove all illegal characters from the names of the devices:

  1. Click "Home Network" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Home Network Overview" in the "Home Network" menu.
  3. Click on the "All Devices" tab.
  4. Click the entry "Details" that corresponds to the device you want to rename.
  5. Enter a name of your choice without special characters in the "Name" field.

    Note:The names are DNS hostnames. Therefore, only use standard letters (not letters such as ä, ë, ö, ü, á, é, í), numbers, and hyphens (-). The name may not consist of only numbers.

  6. Click "OK" to save the settings.

2 Device connected to the FRITZ!Box via the guest network

Only devices connected with the home network can be renamed in the FRITZ!Box user interface. Devices connected to the FRITZ!Box via the LAN or Wi-Fi guest network cannot be renamed in the FRITZ!Box.

Note:The FRITZ!Box displays devices with their host names if the devices send them to the FRITZ!Box when they obtain their IP settings via DHCP. Devices that do not send their host name to the FRITZ!Box are displayed with their IP address (for example "PC-192-168-178-20").

3 FRITZ!Box is configured as an IP client / repeater

When used as a wireless router or IP client, the FRITZ!Box adopts the device name from the upstream FRITZ!Box or FRITZ!Box configured as a wireless access point. This means that the names of devices cannot be changed in the FRITZ!Box configured as a wireless repeater or IP client, they can only be renamed in the upstream FRITZ!Box.

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