computer name ?

[ifix1]

hi folks
i'm going to be cleaning up (format) a friends computer,for her computer name she just has "home" in network id.
is there a way to find her computer name and not just her ip address because comcast changes ip addresses every so often, so i can't just put the ip address in there because it will change in a few weeks and i don't want to install the comcast software if i don't have to..

Thanks for any reply's

 

[bcastner]

The computer name is for Netbios purposes. Comcast cable could care less what the value might be.

It does care, depending on region, what the MAC address of the connection was. As it appears you are not changing the lan adapter in the machine, you should be fine.

Again, the cable system does not care about the computer name.

 

[ifix1]

Thanks for your reply bcastner..
if what your saying is true, then i only need to have a unique name for a computer on a lan..i don't need a DNS name?

Thanks Again

 

[bcastner]

The entries you make on the router for Host name, Domain, etc. are not relevant in your case.

If one was in a Win2k or Windows 2003 domain, with a local DNS server, uPnP enabled, then registering the device is appropriate, as the SSDP Discovery process needs this information to appropriately add prefix and suffix informtion when registering the workstation to the local DNS server.

Some cable systems require their host name be added as router entry, but this is fairly unusual. Your cable system should have indicated a requirement like this in the installation guide.

Comcast relies essentially on your MAC address, and it may be the case that you need to "clone" the MAC of the primary workstation on the router. I have not seen a router that did not have this feature as anac Advanced setting. This appears to be a regional requirement, some Comcast sites need this to enable connection sharing and some regional sites simply do not care, as long as the MAC address does not change.

Use ipconfig /all if XP, or winipcfg /all for Win9x to view the physical address of your primary workstation adapter. Write it down, and use the web setup for the router to enter the "clone" MAC address.

But again, the remaining address options are likely not relevant in this case.

 

[ifix1]

Thanks for pointing out how little i know on this topic
i didn't understand a freekin thing,but i did get your point "computer name not needed normaly" there is no router involved.. so i don't have any worries

Thanks Again bcastner