Notification service changing name (so notifications no longer working) when Mac automatically changing my machine name

[toby-griffiths]

Device model, version and app version

Model Name: MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) macOS Version: 11.6.1 (20G224) App Version: 2021.322 Safari Version: 15.1 (16612.2.9.1.30, 16612)

Home Assistant Core Version core-2022.2.0

Describe the bug Because I swtich my laptop between (home) networks (VLAN), and I have mDNS forwarding, it sometimes changes name due to a 'conflict', by adding a ' (2)', ' (3)', etc. to the end of my machine name. This has the effect of changing the name used for notifications in Home Assistant, meaning that I stop getting notifications to the laptop cmpanion app when this happens.

As a concrete example. My maching is named 'Marvin', so sometimes gets automatically renamed 'Marvin (2)' when a 'conflict' is detected.

My alerts are all set up to use the notify.mobile_app_marvin, and all work fine until I have to stwitch to another VLAN and my machine is renamed, automatically, to 'Marvin (2)', where upon my alerts all stop working because the notify.mobile_app_marvin service no longer exists, and has been replaced by the notify.mobile_app_marvin_2 service.

To Reproduce I would imagine, manually adding ' (2)' to your mac name in System Preferences > Sharing would demonstrate this issue.

Expected behavior It would be good it the companion app didn't rename itself in Home Assistant when the name only changes with an extra, or changed trailing numbmer in brackets, or at least had an toggle option to prevent this from happening.

Screenshots

Additional context

[jsiemek]

I can only support your request even my case is technically totally different.

My teenage daughter is changing her iPhone name quite often, to change the name of WiFi hotspot. No, she can't stop.

If you are curious about, it goes like: IRS Criminal Investigation truck no 7.

It's hard for me to truck all these changes. So, I will prefer app to not follow changes of device name. If you want, you can change it always in app directly.

[SergeantPup]

I am having this same issue with apple devices only. Android seems unaffected.

[toby-griffiths]

Does anyone have a possible solution for this yet? Perhaps if we either allow the setting of a device name in the app, or even just keeping the first name used unless you explicitly change it?