How to set a custom hostname for devices on an Edimax router

Giving a device a hostname such as study-pc or media-nas makes it easier to reach from a laptop, phone or television than memorising an address like 192.168.2.37. On an Edimax router, this commonly involves a DHCP reservation, sometimes paired with a local DNS record. Menu names vary by model and firmware, so the safest approach is to identify which device actually supplies your network settings before making changes.

In many Australian homes, an NBN connection comes through NBN Co equipment or a broadband provider’s gateway, with an Edimax added for better Wi-Fi. If another router is handing out addresses, a host name entered in the Edimax interface may never appear on your phones or computers. Knowing whether the Edimax is acting as a router, access point or extender prevents a lot of puzzling half-finished setups.

Understand what the hostname changes

A hostname is a network label for a device, not its wireless network name. The SSID identifies the Wi-Fi you join; the hostname identifies a particular laptop, NAS, printer or camera within that network. A custom hostname lets you use a memorable label instead of an IP address, while DHCP continues to match that label to the device’s network address. It does not rename the hardware, alter its MAC address or make the device reachable from outside your home.

Be aware that a DHCP server can learn a device’s name without offering a DNS service that resolves it. The Edimax client list may therefore display study-pc, yet study-pc might not work when typed into a browser or used by a print application. Some firmware publishes DHCP names through its own DNS; other models require a separate local host record. On models with no local naming support, the device can advertise a name to DHCP, but reliable DNS-based access then depends on another DNS service.

Some builds append a configured domain, such as lan, to the DHCP name, so the address you test may be study-pc.lan rather than study-pc. Use a simple label that will be easy to recognise later: lounge-tv, office-printer or backup-nas. Lower-case letters, numbers and hyphens avoid case-sensitive and space-related problems. Keep the name unique on the local network, and avoid calling it .local unless you specifically intend mDNS, because that suffix is normally handled through a different mechanism.

Find the right Edimax access point

Begin on a device connected to the network you want to name. On Windows, run ipconfig and read the default gateway; on macOS, check the router address under Network settings; on Linux, use ip route. A common Edimax address is 192.168.2.1, although some models use 192.168.1.1 or another address shown on the label. Enter that gateway into a browser over Ethernet if possible, then sign in with the credentials for your unit rather than assuming every model has the same default password.

Australian broadband arrangements add a useful wrinkle. On NBN FTTP, the NBN Co unit usually terminates the fibre; on FTTN or FTTC, a provider gateway may do the same. That equipment may provide a combined modem, router and Wi-Fi network. If the Edimax is an access point or extender behind it, the upstream gateway may remain the DHCP server, and the Edimax’s own reservation table may have no effect. Either give DHCP duties to the Edimax and use router mode, or perform naming on the gateway that leases the addresses.

Check the Edimax operating mode before opening its host-name settings. In router mode, its LAN is the home network. In access-point mode, it extends an existing wired network and should normally leave DHCP and DNS to the main router. WPS pairing establishes a wireless connection but does not create DHCP or DNS records. The extender’s own management address may also change, so consult the hardware label and status page rather than assuming 192.168.2.1.

For general connection steps, the Edimax setup guide explains browser access, extender installation and the difference between these roles. Australian buyers often compare hardware at JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks and Amazon.com.au, where checking the exact hardware revision matters because firmware menus can vary within one product family.

Assign a hostname through DHCP

In the Edimax administration interface, look for DHCP Server, DHCP Client List, Static DHCP or Address Reservation; the precise label depends on the firmware. Find the target device and select Add, + or Static DHCP. Its MAC address should already be detected, along with the current IP address. Where a Host Name field is available, enter the chosen label, choose an IP address and save or apply the entry. Some client-list pages allow a row to be converted directly into a static lease.

Choose an address that is outside the router’s dynamic DHCP pool, for example .50 when the pool begins at .100, and keep it away from the gateway, broadcast address and other reservations. The router may initially show an address inside the pool, but moving it to a stable outside address prevents a later lease conflict. Make sure the recorded MAC belongs to the interface in use: a laptop with Ethernet and Wi-Fi has two, and modern phones may use a private or randomised address that changes by network. If the name disappears after a phone reconnects, check that address first.

If the static DHCP page has no host-name field, do not assume the feature is merely hidden. Some Edimax builds provide only MAC-to-IP binding. Check for a DNS Host, Local DNS or Host Record page and create an A record linking the selected hostname to the reserved IP, if that table exists and supports local entries. On other models, set the computer’s own network name through its operating system so it can advertise a DHCP host name. A client-side name may show up in the Edimax list, but it still will not resolve in every application without DNS support. Updating the firmware can expose different menus, yet it can also change settings, so record the current configuration first.

Test name resolution across the home

Test from a client on the same local network, not from mobile data. First confirm that the Edimax DHCP list shows the intended hostname and reserved address. Then try nslookup media-nas or nslookup media-nas.home.arpa, using the Edimax address as the DNS server if the router requires it. The home.arpa suffix is intended for private home networks, but it only works when the local DNS service is configured to serve it. If the client list shows a domain suffix, test the full name shown there.

Name resolution and device discovery are separate. media-nas.local may work through mDNS on Apple devices even when the Edimax does not answer ordinary DNS queries, and Android support varies by application. Guest Wi-Fi, client isolation or a separate VLAN can prevent both the router and other devices from seeing the mDNS response. A wired test is a useful check: success from a wired computer but failure from Wi-Fi points towards wireless isolation rather than a bad host record. Refreshing a Windows DNS cache or restarting the relevant app may be needed after a new name is added.

Applications often preserve an IP address long after you rename a device. Update the NAS, printer, camera or media server to the new hostname, and check any DNS override entered in its settings. Households in Australia commonly run a Foxtel set-top box, smart television, game console, indoor cameras and a NAS alongside phones and laptops, so a readable name helps when several devices sit behind the same NBN connection. In a busy apartment in Melbourne or Sydney, however, nearby Wi-Fi can make troubleshooting harder; identifying the correct local gateway is more reliable than guessing from an SSID alone.

Keep the hostname working over time

A hostname that worked once can fail after a lease renewal, extender reboot or factory reset. Keeping the address reservation and the name together reduces that risk, while a short record makes future router changes easier. Use the following checks before and after changing a non-critical device.

Before saving, check the following:

Confirm that the Edimax is the DHCP server for the device’s current network; otherwise its reservation table will be ignored.
Match the MAC address to the active Ethernet or Wi-Fi interface and check whether private-address randomisation is enabled.
Select an unused address outside the dynamic pool and avoid the gateway, broadcast address and existing reservations.
Use one consistent naming format, such as device-purpose, with no spaces and no punctuation that needs escaping.
Record the current IP, MAC address and hostname so the old entry can be removed cleanly if needed.

After reconnecting, verify the following:

Reconnect the device and confirm that its hostname, reserved IP and lease appear in the Edimax client list.
Test the name from both a wired computer and a Wi-Fi client, then confirm the service itself opens at the expected local address.
Reboot the Edimax once and repeat the test to check that the lease and DNS record survive a restart.
Update any printer, NAS, camera or media-server entries that still use the old IP address.

Keep the DHCP pool, reservations, local DNS records and device-side names in step with one another. If a name resolves only after a manual IP change, the router may be supplying an address outside the reservation, or another DNS server may be answering first. Secure local access does not require opening the Edimax administration page to the internet, and a hostname is not a substitute for a VPN when you need to reach a home server from elsewhere.

The concrete next step is to open the Edimax client list and record the reserved address and hostname for one non-critical device, such as a NAS, as the first verified entry.