How to disable disclosing a computer name to a network?

I don't use (I've disabled it by normal means and blocked the ports with personal a firewall) Windows Networking (CIFS aka NetBIOS aka SMB etc), but my PC has a name as it seems to be mandatory in both Windows and Linux.

After I connect to WiFi router getting TCP/IP settings via DHCP I then can see my PC's IP and MAC addresses in the router's DHCP lease table alongside with the PC's name.

How to hide the name or show them a fake one? I am afraid the one knowing my PC's name can steal its soul...

I am in particular interested in Windows XP, Windows 7, Linux and FreeBSD solutions - write for any.

Third party tools like advanced firewalls and/or system DLL/drivers patches are considered acceptable.

Ivan

Posted 2011-08-27T11:20:21.217

Reputation: 6 173

1Can you be a little less cryptic as to why you aren't wanting your PC name showing? I know you think you're being funny or cute, but it truly is baffling why you are asking this. What is the end goal for this? If you're concerned that much about your machine being seen, don't connect it to the network. – Daniel Chateau – 2012-12-26T20:35:33.137

@DanielChateau: It's a valid and interesting concern IMHO when you consider public Wifi access points and ISP DHCP servers may be logging this information and such. – LawrenceC – 2014-03-23T00:47:51.707

@ultrasawblade, there is really no identifying information in a computer name, or at least there doesn't have to be - it is easy to change to whatever you want. – MaQleod – 2014-03-23T00:53:38.520

Answers

you could just change the name to something very generic. Start-Right click Computer->Properties then hit change settings. A panel comes up that allows you changing your computer name after clicking the change button. If you just want to randomly spoof your computer name you could look for a tool like this one http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=security/madmacs-mac-spoofer

Christian Smorra

Posted 2011-08-27T11:20:21.217

Reputation: 316

+1 You generally cannot not-have a computer/host name in Windows. Soul thieves generally go after users Apple products anyway... :) – David Chen – 2011-08-27T15:07:39.337

There is no easy way to disable or change the hostname that the Windows DHCP client gives to a DHCP server, from something different than the current system hostname, that is.

One could solve this problem by writing a VBS script that changes the computer name to one out of a list of random ones, and set it to execute on every shutdown using Scheduled Tasks. A good template to start customizing for your needs is here.

Under Linux, isc-dhcp-client has provisions (in /etc/dhcp.conf) to send the DHCP server a different hostname than what the system's is currently set to.

LawrenceC

Posted 2011-08-27T11:20:21.217

Reputation: 63 487