I need to change the NetBIOS Name under "System Preferences" -> "Network" -> "Advanced…" -> "WINS"; but I can click Ok, Apply or whatever; the OS will completely ignore my entry and keep the previous (default?) name.
Why the UI is broken? Why can't I set a different NetBIOS name from there? And how can I set it then?
UPDATE:
The UI doesn't show the change and will restore the previous value all the time I come back.
But if I just change the value, "Apply" and close the window, then after a while the value I inserted will be taken in account and will be shown correctly.
There's no logic in this, but just try to save the value, close, and come back in 3/5 minutes (rather than immediately) to check if now the change is there.
It worked for me.
However, trying to trigger the name change I also touched the other fields and added a WINS server with IP "1.2.3.4". That had the same problem.
But now also that one has been saved, together with the name and, no matter how much I try to delete that entry and wait for the change, that non-existent IP is always restored and I am no more able to have the "WINS Servers" list empty.
Does anybody has any suggestion?
The UI carries this "completely broken" feeling and I dunno if I am incurring in a bug, if I am missing something, or if at Apple are lazy and sloppy on power-user features ?
Best Answer
In regards to the settings being applied and saved within System Preferences, I do know that there is a bug in the UI where if you do not make your changes then completely close out (⌘ + Q) of System Preferences the change will not be reflected. It seems that System Preferences tends to cached the previous value until it is closed and relaunched.