Dhcpleases: bad name in /var/dhcpd/var/db/dhcpd.leases

[sensemann]

Hello,

I get a lot of times this in my log:

dhcpleases: bad name in /var/dhcpd/var/db/dhcpd.leases

How can I fix this?

Cheers!

[jimp]

Look at the hostnames that show up under Status > DHCP Leases. Odds are something has one that is not valid. Find it, fix the hostname. The rest will sort itself out.

[botsug]

I saw the list… so many.... how do i know what to find and fix? Thanks

[brasilnut]

@botsug:

I saw the list… so many.... how do i know what to find and fix? Thanks

Did anyone reply to you?
I have the same issue.
There is nothing obviously wrong, as my lease  names seem to be okay.
Is there a document that states what is valid for a lease name?

[huzbub]

Same trouble and is associated with another error as follows

Last 50 General Log Entries. (Maximum 50)
Time	Process	PID	Message
Sep 17 00:34:22	dhcpleases		Could not deliver signal HUP to process because its pidfile (/var/run/dnsmasq.pid) does not exist, No such file or directory.
Sep 17 00:36:37	dhcpleases		bad name in /var/dhcpd/var/db/dhcpd.leases

To see content of these files, from the GUI go to Diagnostics/Edit File and load
/var/dhcpd/var/db/dhcpd.leases~
/var/dhcpd/var/db/dhcpd.leases

Can view / Edit contents.  I don't know what to look for in there so I'm just looking so far!

Found some hits about issues with unbound but nothing to help with troubleshooting / resolution.  Will keep rooting around in the forums but will come back here to update too if I have any success.

Please help.

[jimp]

"Use the source, Luke" - Obi WAN Code-obi

								} else if (!canonicalise(hostname)) {
									if (foreground)
										printf("bad name(%s) in %s\n", hostname, leasefile);

canonicalise(char *s) {
[...]
		else if (!legal_char(c) || (++dotgap > MAXLABEL))
			return (0);

static int
legal_char(char c) {
	if ((c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z') ||
	    (c >= 'a' && c <= 'z') ||
	    (c >= '0' && c <= '9') ||
	    c == '-' || c == '/' || c == '_' || c == ' ')
		return (1);
	return (0);
}

So that routine will print that it's a bad name if any character is in the hostname that is not in the list it checks. It allows A-Z, a-z, 0-9, '-', '/', '_'. and ' ' and nothing else.

[avvid]

I have the same problem, but upon inspection there are NO illegal characters at all.
The only thing 'weird' is that some of my appliances or boxes (ie: Sling media, Playstation, etc.) don't seem to have a hostname in the DHCP leases screen, it's empty.

Now, when I do a network scan, they certain pop up.  But I'm wondering if the blank hostname is producing the issue?  I also have the DNS responder running on the same box.

[Ronski]

I'm also getting the same error as the OP, and looking at my host names one of them is HS110(UK). So it's the brackets causing the issue, but I can't change the host name on the device. I've tried adding a static IP and giving it a different host name but it still uses the one with brackets.

Is there anyway around this?

Also, just a thought but if a particular host name is causing that error to be added, would it not be a good idea to add the actual host name to the error? Although looking at the code @jimp posted it looks like the host name should be in the error, but it's not??? Unless of course that codes from a newer version than mine (2.3.2-RELEASE-p1).