Option C: Tagged

A company tag in front so our devices sort together. Uses SMPL, because CSS means style sheets in IT.

SMPLCompany tag (“sample”, not CSS)
-
HOU1Port code + office number
-
LT01Type + number

What it looks like for our machines

MachineName todayNew nameJob name (Tailscale)Name in print dialogs
Houston print laptop (new Dell 15)CSS_Houtson_LTSMPL-HOU1-LT01smpl-hou1-print
Houston backup laptop (old Inspiron)DESKTOP-2DT50PPSMPL-HOU1-LT02
Houston Rollo label printerRollo X1038SMPL-HOU1-PR01HOU1 Rollo 4x6
Houston Zebra label printerZebra ZP450SMPL-HOU1-PR02HOU1 Zebra 4x6
Houston Brother laserMFC-L2750DWSMPL-HOU1-PR03HOU1 Brother
Houston router (Beryl AX)GL-MT3000SMPL-HOU1-RT01
SF print server (revived mini PC)PackingPC1SMPL-OAK1-PC01smpl-oak1-print
The other “packing pc1”PackingPC1 (2nd)SMPL-OAK1-PC02
SF office laptopAlamedaSMPL-OAK1-LT01
SF team home laptop(staff laptop)SMPL-OAK1-LT02
SF Zebra 4x6ZEBRA-4x6SMPL-OAK1-PR01OAK1 Zebra 4x6
SF Zebra 4x8ZEBRA-4x8SMPL-OAK1-PR02OAK1 Zebra 4x8
SF RolloROLLOSMPL-OAK1-PR03OAK1 Rollo 4x6
SF Brother laserMFC-L2807DWSMPL-OAK1-PR04OAK1 Brother
NJ office laptopDESKTOP-FNV6EKMSMPL-EWR1-LT01

What a technician sees in the ReadySpaces router

Other tenants share the building network. Ours are highlighted.

iPhone192.168.8.20
SMPL-HOU1-LT01192.168.8.21
DESKTOP-8KQ2M1A192.168.8.22
SMPL-HOU1-LT02192.168.8.23
HP-LaserJet-M404192.168.8.24
SMPL-HOU1-PR01192.168.8.25
Galaxy-S24192.168.8.26
SMPL-HOU1-PR02192.168.8.27
LAPTOP-J3N7Q0192.168.8.28
SMPL-HOU1-PR03192.168.8.29
Ring-Doorbell192.168.8.30
MacBook-Pro192.168.8.31

Sticker on the machine

SMPL-HOU1-LT01Houston printer laptop
SMPL-HOU1-PR01HOU1 Rollo 4x6

When things change

New LA office

Gets SMPL-LAX1-LT01 and so on. Nothing existing changes.

Second SF-area office

Gets SMPL-OAK2-LT01. The Alameda office stays OAK1.

A laptop dies

SMPL-HOU1-LT01 dies. The replacement is SMPL-HOU1-LT03. The job name smpl-hou1-print moves to it in Tailscale, so every PC keeps printing. The old name stays retired.

Trade-offs

Works

  • All our devices sort together in any list
  • Tag is unmistakable on a shared building network

Doesn't

  • 14 characters: no room left for a country code later
  • A tag people must learn, for something the pattern already does
  • Type and number run together (LT01), harder to read aloud

Scorecard

Easy to say and type●●●●●
Never collides●●●●●
Stands out on a shared network●●●●●
New offices need no renames●●●●●
Replacing a box breaks nothing●●●●●
Room under 15 chars●●●●●