How to Change the Hostname of a VMware ESXi Host (2026)

Changing the hostname of a VMware ESXi host is a task you will encounter when building out new infrastructure, replacing servers, or correcting naming conventions. While straightforward, it requires care in production environments as it affects DNS resolution, vCenter connectivity and SSL certificates. This guide covers all three methods — ESXi Host Client, vSphere Web Client and command line — for ESXi 7.0 and ESXi 8.0 in 2026.

Before You Begin

• If the host is part of a vCenter cluster, put it into Maintenance Mode first to prevent VM disruption
• Update your DNS A and PTR records before or immediately after the rename
• Note the current hostname — run esxcli system hostname get via SSH to confirm
• If the host has a CA-signed SSL certificate tied to the hostname you will need to regenerate it after the change
• Inform your monitoring team as the host will temporarily appear disconnected

Method 1 — Change Hostname via ESXi Host Client (Recommended)

The ESXi Host Client is the browser-based management interface built into every ESXi host. This is the simplest method and does not require vCenter.

1. Open a browser and navigate to https://[esxi-ip-address]/ui
2. Log in with your root credentials
3. In the left navigation go to Manage → Networking → TCP/IP Stacks
4. Select the Default TCP/IP Stack and click Edit settings
5. Under DNS Configuration select Use the following DNS server addresses and hostname
6. Enter the new hostname in the Hostname field — use the FQDN format (e.g. esxi01.domain.com)
7. Update the Domain field if required
8. Click Save
9. Restart the management network: go to Manage → Networking → VMkernel NICs, select vmk0, click Edit settings → OK to force a refresh, or use the command line method below

Method 2 — Change Hostname via vSphere Web Client

If your ESXi host is managed by vCenter, you can change the hostname directly from the vSphere Web Client without needing to connect to the host directly.

1. Open vSphere Web Client and connect to your vCenter Server
2. Select the ESXi host from the inventory panel
3. Go to Configure → Networking → TCP/IP Configuration
4. Select Default TCP/IP Stack and click the pencil icon to edit
5. Under DNS Configuration, select Enter settings manually
6. Update the Host name field with the new hostname
7. Update the Domain field if required
8. Click OK to save the changes
9. Restart the management network for the change to take effect

Method 3 — Change Hostname via ESXi Shell (Command Line)

The command line method is the most reliable and is preferred when automating hostname changes across multiple hosts or when the Host Client is inaccessible.

1. Enable SSH on the host: Host Client → Manage → Services → TSM-SSH → Start
2. Connect via SSH using PuTTY or your preferred SSH client
3. Run the following commands:

# Set the short hostname
esxcli system hostname set --host=esxi01

# Set the fully qualified domain name
esxcli system hostname set --fqdn=esxi01.domain.com

# Verify the change
esxcli system hostname get

Restart the Management Network

# Restart the management network interface to apply the change
/sbin/restart_mgmt_interface.sh

After Changing the Hostname

• Update DNS — update the A record and PTR record for the host in your DNS server
• Reconnect in vCenter — if the host shows as disconnected in vCenter, right-click it and select Connect
• Regenerate SSL certificate — Host Client → Manage → Security → Certificates → Renew. This is required if the old certificate referenced the old hostname
• Update monitoring tools — update any SCOM, PRTG or other monitoring agents that reference the old hostname
• Update backup agents — Veeam and other backup tools that target the host by hostname will need updating
• Remove from maintenance mode — once you have verified connectivity and DNS, take the host out of maintenance mode

Verify the Change in ESXi

# Verify hostname via ESXi shell
esxcli system hostname get

# Expected output:
#    Domain Name: domain.com
#    Fully Qualified Domain Name: esxi01.domain.com
#    Host Name: esxi01

Frequently Asked Questions

About The Author

Andrew Armstrong

Andrew Armstrong is a UK-based IT professional with 26+ years of hands-on experience in Windows, Windows Server, SCCM/ConfigMgr, Active Directory, PowerShell, and enterprise infrastructure. He founded TechyGeeksHome in 2010 and has published over 1,500 practical guides covering real-world IT problems and solutions. When not solving IT problems, Andrew develops free Windows utilities including Ultimate Settings Panel, which has been downloaded over 850,000 times.

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