diff --git a/spinnman/extended/extended_transceiver.py b/spinnman/extended/extended_transceiver.py
index 6c7d68fc1..560b20fa4 100644
--- a/spinnman/extended/extended_transceiver.py
+++ b/spinnman/extended/extended_transceiver.py
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@
 def create_transceiver_from_hostname(
         hostname: Optional[str], version: int, *,
         bmp_connection_data: Optional[List[BMPConnectionData]] = None,
-        number_of_boards: Optional[int] = None,
         auto_detect_bmp: bool = False) -> 'ExtendedTransceiver':
     """
     Create a Transceiver by creating a :py:class:`~.UDPConnection` to the
@@ -70,9 +69,6 @@ def create_transceiver_from_hostname(
     :param hostname: The hostname or IP address of the board or `None` if
         only the BMP connections are of interest
     :type hostname: str or None
-    :param number_of_boards: a number of boards expected to be supported, or
-        ``None``, which defaults to a single board
-    :type number_of_boards: int or None
     :param int version: the type of SpiNNaker board used within the SpiNNaker
         machine being used. If a Spinn-5 board, then the version will be 5,
         Spinn-3 would equal 3 and so on.
@@ -108,7 +104,7 @@ def create_transceiver_from_hostname(
         assert number_of_boards is not None, \
             "number_of_boards must be supplied to work out BMP connections"
         bmp_connection_data = [
-            work_out_bmp_from_machine_details(hostname, number_of_boards)]
+            work_out_bmp_from_machine_details(hostname)]
 
     # handle BMP connections
     if bmp_connection_data is not None:
diff --git a/spinnman/transceiver.py b/spinnman/transceiver.py
index 0da8fa57f..215e15078 100644
--- a/spinnman/transceiver.py
+++ b/spinnman/transceiver.py
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@
 def create_transceiver_from_hostname(
         hostname: Optional[str], version: int, *,
         bmp_connection_data: Optional[BMPConnectionData] = None,
-        number_of_boards: Optional[int] = None,
         auto_detect_bmp: bool = False,
         power_cycle: bool =False) -> 'Transceiver':
     """
@@ -147,9 +146,6 @@ def create_transceiver_from_hostname(
     :param hostname: The hostname or IP address of the board or `None` if
         only the BMP connections are of interest
     :type hostname: str or None
-    :param number_of_boards: a number of boards expected to be supported, or
-        ``None``, which defaults to a single board
-    :type number_of_boards: int or None
     :param int version: the type of SpiNNaker board used within the SpiNNaker
         machine being used. If a Spinn-5 board, then the version will be 5,
         Spinn-3 would equal 3 and so on.
@@ -183,11 +179,8 @@ def create_transceiver_from_hostname(
             (bmp_connection_data is None or not bmp_connection_data)):
         if hostname is None:
             raise ValueError("hostname is required if deriving BMP details")
-        if number_of_boards is None or number_of_boards < 1:
-            raise ValueError(
-                "number_of_boards is required if deriving BMP details")
         bmp_connection_data = work_out_bmp_from_machine_details(
-            hostname, number_of_boards)
+            hostname)
 
     # handle BMP connections
     if bmp_connection_data is not None:
diff --git a/spinnman/utilities/utility_functions.py b/spinnman/utilities/utility_functions.py
index af0d85f87..901b4cf9e 100644
--- a/spinnman/utilities/utility_functions.py
+++ b/spinnman/utilities/utility_functions.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 
 def work_out_bmp_from_machine_details(
-        hostname: str, number_of_boards: int) -> BMPConnectionData:
+        hostname: str) -> BMPConnectionData:
     """
     Work out the BMP connection IP address given the machine details.
     This is assumed to be the IP address of the machine, with 1 subtracted
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ def work_out_bmp_from_machine_details(
     BMP IP address is assumed to be 192.168.0.4
 
     :param str hostname: the SpiNNaker machine main hostname or IP address
-    :param int number_of_boards: the number of boards in the machine
     :return: The BMP connection data
     :rtype: BMPConnectionData
     """
@@ -43,7 +42,7 @@ def work_out_bmp_from_machine_details(
     # add board scope for each split
     # if None, the end user didn't enter anything, so assume one board
     # starting at position 0
-    board_range = range(number_of_boards) if number_of_boards else [0]
+    board_range = [0]
 
     # Assume a single board with no cabinet or frame specified
     return BMPConnectionData(ip_address=bmp_ip_address,