How the shop finds the device

1 The three ways

Way	How it works	Guide
Primary devices	The shop uses the devices registered to the shopper as main user in Configuration Manager or Intune. With several, the shopper chooses.	Shopping for primary devices
SoftwareCentral client	A small program on the device tells the shop its name. The browser starts it through the `SoftwareCentral:` link scheme.	The SoftwareCentral client
Network lookup	The SoftwareCentral server asks the computer at the address the request comes from for its name, and falls back to DNS.	The network lookup

2 The order the shop tries them in

Both the new and the classic shop go through the same steps when a shopper opens the shop:

Primary devices, when Shop for primary devices is on, or the shopper is on a Mac and Disable computer name lookup for Mac devices is on. One device is used straight away; with several, the shopper chooses. A shopper with no primary device goes on to the next step.
The SoftwareCentral client, when Computer name lookup is set to Only use SoftwareCentral Client, and always when SoftwareCentral runs in the cloud. The shopper sees a short Please wait page while the client answers.
The network lookup in all other cases. If it finds no name, the shop asks the client after all.

All three settings are under Settings › SoftwareCentral › Shop; see Shop settings. The new shop also remembers the shopper's choice of device for the next visit; see Using the client for the shop.

3 Which to choose

Your situation	Use
Every user has one computer, and it is on your network	The network lookup, which needs nothing on the devices.
Users have primary devices in Configuration Manager or Intune	Primary devices. Nothing to install, and it works from anywhere, also on Macs.
VPN, Citrix, unreliable DNS, or devices outside your network	The SoftwareCentral client, set to Only use SoftwareCentral Client.
A mix	Primary devices together with the client: the client then covers the shoppers who have no primary device.

4 Best practice

Turn on Shop for primary devices where users have one. The shop tries the primary devices first, before the client and the network lookup.
Turn on Only use SoftwareCentral Client where the lookup cannot reach the device. With it on, the shop never runs the network lookup.
Keep the client for shoppers without a primary device. With both settings on, the client is only needed for shoppers who have no primary device.
Turn on Disable computer name lookup for Mac devices if your Macs cannot use the lookup. Macs with primary devices are sent to the device chooser instead.

5 Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	What to do
“Please select your current device:”	The shopper has more than one primary device.	The shopper chooses the device.
The shop shows a device name that is not the shopper's device.	Only use SoftwareCentral Client is off, so the shop used the network lookup.	Turn on Only use SoftwareCentral Client under Settings › SoftwareCentral › Shop.
The shop shows Unknown as the device name.	No device name was found by any of the three ways.	Check the client on the device, or the primary devices of the shopper.