What is a hostname?

In IP and Internet terms, a hostname (or host name) is simply the name assigned to any network host. Hostnames provide an easier means for humans to identify hosts instead of using IP addresses.

Hostnames are not strictly required for hosts to communicate with one another. However, many network services use or require hostnames when servicing requests.

Example:

• A network router routes traffic to and from other routers without ever relying on the hostnames of the other routers. In this case, hostnames do not need to be assigned to any of the routers.

How Can I Find My Hostname?

Internet Hostname: Since you’re already here, the easiest way of finding your Internet hostname is by visiting our homepage (click here). The MyHostname.com homepage displays your Internet hostname, IP address, and Web browser near the top of the page, where it’s quick and easy to see.

My Computer’s Hostname: There are various methods to finding your computer’s hostname, depending on its operating system. We outline some common ways of doing this below.

Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/2003

1. Click the Start button (2000/XP/2003) or Windows button (Vista/7) to display the menu list.
2. Find ‘My Computer’ (2000/XP/2003) or ‘Computer’ (Vista/7) from the menu list. Right-click on ‘My Computer’/'Computer’ to display the action menu. Example:
   

   Windows XP: Right-click My Computer. Click Properties.

3. Click on ‘Properties’ at the bottom of the action menu. This will open the Systems Properties window.
   

   Windows XP: Systems Properties Window

4. In Windows 2000/XP/2003, the Systems Properties window uses a tabbed interface. Click on the ‘Computer Name’ tab. Your computer name is displayed in the ‘Full computer name’ field. In the example, above, the computer name is: vxp-sp3.
5. In Windows Vista/7, the computer name settings are displayed in the ‘Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings’ section.

Mac OSX

1. From Finder, go to Applications –> Utilities (or press the shortcut, Command-U).
2. Run the Terminal application. This will open a new terminal window.
3. By default, the prompt already displays your computer hostname, current directory, and username. Example:

   myhostname:directory-name stephenc$

4. Use the hostname command to determine your computer’s full hostname, including domain name (if any). At the prompt, type hostname and press Return. The resulting value is your computer’s full hostname. Example:

   myhostname:directory-name stephenc$ hostname
   myhostname.codecentral.com

   Note: Your computer’s full hostname may not include a domain name portion. This will depend on your computer’s individual configuration.