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How to get visitors computer name
Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 5:38 pm
by Calimero
What I need is to get a computer name from my visitor.
Not IP, Refferer, or User_agent(browser).
Only the name of the machine.
Thanks Ahead !
Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 5:41 pm
by feyd
The short answer: you can't.
%$^&#$@(&$^%%^@) :(
Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 5:44 pm
by Calimero
What !!! not even the all mighty, called upon as a last solution resort Apache sever doesn't have the function.
Thanks anyway.
Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 5:50 pm
by launchcode
Thankfully, no.
You do realise only Windoze boxes actually have "computer names"?
Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 5:55 pm
by PAW Projects
Yup.
The basic rule applies:
If the user doesn't send it to the server, the server doesn't know.
Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 6:06 pm
by feyd
only when you are on the same (local area) network could you determine the computers "name"
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 3:38 am
by PAW Projects
Don't even coun on that either, though.
I believe only Internet Explorer sends that information.
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 3:53 am
by feyd
uh... the machine broadcasts it.
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 8:02 am
by PAW Projects
So you're saying that Apache listens to see if the client is broadcasting stuff besides having sent the HTTP request header.....
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 8:05 am
by magicrobotmonkey
im sure you could throw something together in php that would get the client ip and resolve it into a name over a windows network
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 12:12 pm
by feyd
PAW Projects wrote:So you're saying that Apache listens to see if the client is broadcasting stuff besides having sent the HTTP request header.....
no, NETBIOS information is a non-routable packet system. It only works on local networks.
we've talked about this before:
http://www.devnetwork.net/forums/viewto ... puter+name
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 12:21 pm
by Dale
Wouldnt getting the computers name be a sort of hacking?
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 12:24 pm
by feyd
there are legitimate uses for it in a windows networking environment. Outside of that, there is little real use for it.
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 4:31 pm
by PAW Projects
feyd wrote:no, NETBIOS information is a non-routable packet system. It only works on local networks.
I know how Netbios works, I was just wondering how (and why) Apache got hold of this.