The only way to do what you are asking is to update your network's DNS and/or DHCP tables such that they "know" the EtherNet-ID of the Empeg and can thus map a static hostname to it (Regardless of IP address). That's the same way it works for all of you "named" workstations and network nodes.

Okay, I see what you're saying, but let me be more specific.

I format a computer's hard disk and install a fresh copy of Windows. I take the defaults for the network setup, which means it uses DHCP. During the setup, it asks me what the computer's name will be. Let's say I name it "foobar".

After that setup is done, I can walk over to another workstation and type "ping foobar.mycompany.com" and it will work.

I did not have to touch the DNS server to make this happen. In fact, the DNS server isn't even here in our building. It's not even in the same state, it's in Detroit, connected by a frame relay line. Our Cisco router forwards all name server requests and their name servers handle it back at the corporate HQ.

There is some kind of handshaking going on between the workstation and the DNS server which allows the workstation to identify itself by name. The DNS server then assigns the name the workstatation requested. It does all this automatically, without any need to modify the name server's tables of hostnames.

I don't know anything at all about this process, so I don't know how it's done. All I ever see is the end result. But surely there's some kind of a standardized way for this to happen, and it's this standard that Windows is using to get that job done?