Computer name keeps getting (2) appended to it.

Thanks for the reply Soren, however, there aren't any other computers on my network with that name. It's the same computer, which I can verify since it displays the actual name under the Sharing settings as XXXXX.local not XXXXX-2.local

It's a home network, but I have a lot of devices using it:

• 1 iMac (the one with the naming issues)
• 3 Apple laptops
• 2 iPads
• 4 iPhones
• 1 iPod Touch
• 4 DirecTV Receivers
• 2 PS3's
• 4 Wii's
• 1 Roku
• 3 Kindles
• plus a few more that I can't quite remember

However, none of these devices use the name that my iMac uses.

No, we don't have any PC's. We have macs, iphones & ipads, along with a few other networked devices:

• Epson Printer
• 4 Wii's
• 3 PS3's
• 4 DirecTV Receivers
• Roku
• Some unit tied to our Solar system for monitoring

I might be missing a couple, but I think that just about does it.

Hi Soren, the procedure outlined in the link is what I have been doing. I am able to change the name to something else, which also changes the .local name, but whenever I try to change it back to my desired computer name, it changes the .local name properly, but gives me the message that the name exists and appends (2) to the computer name field. The .local name is still set properly, without "-2" appended.

Sorry if that sounds confusing.

Thanks for the suggestion, Alberto. I turned all networking off and was able to make the change successfully. However, once I turned networking back on again, the same message popped up:

The name of your computer “XXXXX” is already in use on this network. The name has been changed to “XXXXX (2)”

In the Sharing Preference Pane, I verified that it appears to still be using the correct .local name:

Computers on your local network can access your computer at: XXXXX.local

But the Computer Name in the field above the message switched to XXXXX (2) again.

Here's the results:

Host xx.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa. not found: 3(NXDOMAIN)

Ethernet and Wifi have 2 different IP addresses and the result was the same for both. I just used xx in place of the two distinct numbers in the result above.

After the ping command, the results indicated the IP address that my WIFI is using for that computer.

I had turned WIFI on previously since I was planning on logging on to the computer using WIFI devices, but I realize this is not necessary so I just turned it off to see if that was causing some of the problems.

Once turned off, I tried the ping command again, and now it is indicating the IP address that Ethernet is using for the computer. However, I still cannot change the Computer Name with WIFI turned off. Same results.

The thing is...when I pinged for the XXXXX.local hostname, it specified that it was an unknown host, which I figured it meant I would be able to change it, but after trying, I got the same error message that it already existed. So I pinged again, and it displayed the same IP number that Ethernet is connected to.

Thanks for the suggestion, macroel. I tried it this morning but unfortunately the computer still wouldn't let me change the name. I could change it to anything else, just not the name that I want since it is specified that it's already in use.