DNS hostname

[ut1545]

Hello all,

I'm testing ESPeasy Mega and have loaded ESPEasy_v2.0.0-dev12_dev_4096.bin on a ESP-12F. Everything seams to work ok but I have found the following issue:

When ESPeasy is configured to request IP address by DHCP, the host name that it sends to DNS server is "UnitName_UnitNumber" format. In previous versions, it only send the UnitName without any other string.

I don't know why this change was made or if it is a mistake but in think that only UnitName should be the hostname.

Could anyone tell me how DNS host names will work in future releases?

Thanks,

[grovkillen]

This new host name is the standard for 2.0.0 but it might need to be optional.. Please elaborate why you need it to be the old way?

[ut1545]

Technically, both ways are the same but, I think that host names were created to make easier to remember a familiar name than a IP address. If the UnitNumber is added to host name, it is more difficult to remember the "Familiar Name": you have to remember not only the name but also UnitNumber.

I don't know why to append the UnitNumber to host name since, once connected to ESPeasy web page, you can see the node UnitNumber and if you have enabled host list, you can see all host names, IPs and UnitNumbers. May be appending it, facilitate the configuration of some type of controllers. I'm using openHab where UnitNumber isn't technically relevant.

And finally, thinking over this matter: I believe that a "host name" must be a name easy to remember like a "user name" must be a user name related to a person not a numeric code, employee number,etc, for instance.

Thanks

[TD-er]

Are you sure you cannot change the unit name (and thus the hostname) to something you choose?
I have several devices running here at the latest version of the code (somewhat) At least newer than the dev-12 build, and they do not have the numeric padded after the unitname.


Edit:
After posting, I thought to check in my router's interface and indeed the hostname reported with the DHCP request is padded with a number.

[grovkillen]

I suggest it be optional since some users (myself at least) use the room name as the unit name.

Multiple units in the same room would have the same DHCP broadcasted name.

[TD-er]

But still it makes more sense to have "Bedroom_light" and "Bedroom_CO2" etc. instead of "Bedroom_4" and "Bedroom_3", since #2 was already used in the hall. and #1 in the livingroom.
As I understood, the unit number must be unique.
And I wonder what the maximum number can be.
I just changed one to "200" and it is no longer visible in the unit list.
Looks like "31" is the maximum value.

[grovkillen]

We need to have a best practice example!

I must say that I haven't spent a whole lot of time thinking the nomenclature over.

[TD-er]

Or an option to select the format of the hostname

[ut1545]

+1 vote to have the option to select host name format...... Or in my particular case, no unit number at all.....