Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Table of Contents
DHCP FAQs
DNS FAQs
IP / NAT FAQs
Questions & Answers
How do I determine my device's MAC (hardware) address?
See the "Related Articles" section of this page for step-by-step instructions.
A media access control (MAC) address is a unique identifier with 12 characters of the form xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx, where each character is some hexadecimal value (that's 0-9 and a-f). Manufacturers assign MAC addresses to each network interface of a device, and typically have a pattern they are known for (Apple uses 00:03:93:xx:xx:xx, for example.) Finding the MAC address for your device usually requires you to check your network settings for it. It may also be printed on a sticker affixed to the device.
How do I request a new DHCP Reservation?
See the "Related Services" section of this page to request this service.
DHCP reservations are only given to non-residential devices on the campus wired network.
You will need the following information to complete the request:
- Your Phone Number
- Full Computer & Host Name
- Ethernet MAC Or Physical Address
- Current IPv4 Address
- Device’s affiliated campus
- Device’s corresponding building
If you have a preference for what hostname/FQDN the device will have, please let us know. Likewise, we will need to know if the device will be using any email related functions (e.g. scan-to-email).
How do I request a DHCP reservation be removed?
See the "Related Services" section of this article for that service offering.
DHCP reservations are only given to non-residential devices on the campus wired network.
You will need the following information to complete the request:
- Your Phone Number
- Full Computer & Host Name
- Current Full Computer & Host Name
- Ethernet MAC Or Physical Address
- Current IPv4 Address
- Device’s affiliated campus
How do I submit a request to reassign a DHCP reservation?
See the "Related Services" section of this page to request this service.
DHCP reservations are only given to non-residential devices on the campus wired network.
You will need the following information to complete the request:
- Your Phone Number
- Full Computer & Host Name
- Current Full Computer & Host Name
- Ethernet MAC Or Physical Address
- Current IPv4 Address
- Device’s affiliated campus
- Identify which features (Full Computer Or Host Name, Ethernet MAC Or Physical Address, and/or Ethernet IPv4 Address) is being changed
- New Reassignment Information
How do I determine my computer's hostname?
Your computer has two names: a computer name or machine name, and a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or hostname. These are related, but not the same thing. Your device's computer/machine name is exactly that, it's the name given to the computer/machine itself (e.g. "desktop-a3f7jw"). Whereas the hostname or FQDN is what exists on the DNS servers for your device (e.g. "desktop-a3f7jw.business.okstate.edu"). The client has control over the machine name, but the hostname is configured by the network administrators. If an administrator has already given your device a hostname, you can find it with the command "nslookup <ip-address>" where <ip-address> is your device's IP address; this is called a 'reverse lookup'. Your device may also tell you in the network settings what its hostname is.
What is a DNS record?
Domain Name Server (DNS) records are one of the fundamental technologies that the Internet relies on. They typically map a human readable name to an IP address via DNS 'A' record.
OSU allows IT personnel to request the following (non-comprehensive) list of DNS records:
• A record
• PTR record
• CNAME record
• TXT record
See the "Related Articles" section of this page for more detailed information.
How do I request a new DNS record?
See the "Related Services" section of this page to request this service.
How do I determine my device's IP address?
See the "Related Articles" section of this page for step-by-step instructions.
An internet protocol (IP) address is a series of four numbers from 0 to 255 separated by periods (e.g. 192.168.1.1). IP addresses are given out by a DHCP server or statically configured by an administrator, depending on which network the device is in. You can find your device's IP address from your network settings, or by a simple command depending on your operating system (e.g. "ipconfig /all" on Windows).
How do I determine my network device's wired (Ethernet) MAC, Physical Address or Ethernet ID?
See the "Related Articles" section of this page for step-by-step instructions.
A MAC (media access control) address of a network device is a unique identifier assigned to the device's network interface card by the card's manufacturer. The address is used for interface identification and location addressing for network traffic (example: 00:1A:2B:86:37:12, 09-1A-8F-3E-AF-FF).
How do I determine my network device's wired (Ethernet) IPv4 Address?
See the "Related Articles" section of this page for step-by-step instructions.
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is an identifier assigned to a computer or device connected the OSU network. It is used for interface identification and location addressing for network traffic (example: 139.78.000.000, 10.192.000.000, 169.254.118.73, 192.168.0.2, etc.).
How does an individual request a Network Address Translation (NAT) registration for their network device which will be connected to the OSU wired network?
NAT Registration requests can be made by submitting a Network Address Translation (NAT) For Residential Life Resident Wired Network Device through the 4-HELP SmartForm at https://it.sp.okstate.edu/itservices/4Help/form.aspx?spid=000017.