[NEBULA] WiFi Device Descriptions - where is the source?

HealthByRo
HealthByRo Posts: 28  Freshman Member
First Comment
edited April 2021 in Nebula
Can someone shed some light on where the WiFi device descriptions are "read" from, what is the source?  In particular on a Mac?  And on a Windows PC?   We'd like to adjust the source so that the list of devices helps us determine which computer it is.  Any suggestions on where to look is appreciated.

All Replies

  • Alfonso
    Alfonso Posts: 257  Master Member
    First Anniversary Friend Collector First Answer First Comment
    Hi @HealthByRo

    I suppose the mac address could partially determine it.

    Some web pages provide information from the mac address.

    For example macvendors.com 

    Does it help you?

    Regards
  • HealthByRo
    HealthByRo Posts: 28  Freshman Member
    First Comment
    Sorry. not exactly what I was looking for.  There must be somewhere that the AP is reading that name from, and when it doesn't find it, then the MAC address is used in the description.   I wanted to standardize that to something.  Right now there are a few devices with something that is definitely user-entered.
  • RUnglaube
    RUnglaube Posts: 135  Ally Member
    First Anniversary Friend Collector First Answer First Comment
    As far as I know and based on my network, the AP and GW will try to get the hostname of the device, I guess it's from the DHCP packet.  If not, it will use the MAC-address.

    Cheers!
    "You will never walk along"
  • Zyxel_Dean
    Zyxel_Dean Posts: 237  Zyxel Employee
    First Anniversary Friend Collector First Answer First Comment
    Hey guys, 
    @RUnglaube is correct, the hostname/description you'll see in NCC is from DHCP packets, most of modern devices has it's hostname stored in DHCP packets on option 12.


  • HealthByRo
    HealthByRo Posts: 28  Freshman Member
    First Comment
    So the response is from the DHCP server?  Or from the user computer?
  • Zyxel_Dean
    Zyxel_Dean Posts: 237  Zyxel Employee
    First Anniversary Friend Collector First Answer First Comment
    edited November 2018
    AP/Gateway listens from the client device, packets from gateway won't carry the clients hostname and other attributes in them, then is reported to NCC.

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