# Find computer connected to Internet in a Network



## break_it (Jul 29, 2005)

I work as a Network Engineer ,I want to find out the list of computers which are connected to Internet ( my job is to create list of computers connected to Internet for intalling updates)

I cannot use any software for this because my company will not agree to purchase software and I dont want to use unlicensed software.

All the machines and server run on windows and I want to prepare a code in Java or C ,if its possible using window commands its still good.

Note: I think my requirements are now clear to moderators.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Well, the story is different. 

Tell us something about the network. Since it would be trivial for the IT department to determine which IP addresses have access to the Internet by examining the connection log of your gateway or proxy server, what exactly is the problem? In any reasonable company, the Internet access is controlled, since it's such a problem source. Why don't you already know which machines are connected?

You still haven't convinced me that this is an official company function.


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## break_it (Jul 29, 2005)

Dear John,

First of all I want to tell you that I am really impressed by your attitude.....And hats off for your effort to maintain ethics of this portal.

Now I will tell you in detail.....I am a new joinee in my company and my post is very low
( but for me I respect my job and I love my job and work is workship for me and it does not matter weither I am doing some respectable work )
My senior officials have given me a work which does not involve any development or coding (which I really want to do)
I have to wait for request from the users which is just a mail ....call them on phone and ask for their machine name and ip adress ..........and manully go their and do the installation.
As I am just a junior guy I am not given any priviledges ......

Now I want to make this software work .........and automatise my job
To be very TRUE I want to impress MY SENIORS .........so that I can get some coding or development related work.

Thats my story which I dint wanted to tell but since you insisted I have to tell it............

I hate calling users to know their IP adress and machine name to do my job....and I am sure I will be able to make this tool and create an impression


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

OK, thanks for clarifying the situation. I hope you understand why we like to ask all these questions, we don't want to be a party to illegal activities.

I still don't understand what exactly you're trying to do, or what this "tool" will actually accomplish that isn't already known. I guess I can't understand why you'd be given an assignment, and then not be given the information to efficiently carry it out.

What is this new tool going to do to make your job more efficient, and how will it assist the company? I'm past the illegal stuff, just trying to understand what you really want to do.


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## Ripley99 (Aug 3, 2005)

break_it said:


> I work as a Network Engineer ,I want to find out the list of computers which are connected to Internet ( my job is to create list of computers connected to Internet for intalling updates)


What kind of 'updates' have to be installed? Operating system updates or application updates?

Which OS are the clients running?

Theres more than one way to skin a cat and probably a really easy way too...


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

I know of no reason that you need to know which machines can find the internet when your wanting to get the machine names to do the installs. When they call they have to have the information at hand to know the machine name and there are a plethera of ways to do this -

1)You can change their My Computer icon to show their username and their Machine Name -

a)Open regedit32 and go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D} rename LocalizedString to LocalizedString.Old
b) In this same sting make a new key with a VALUE type of Expand_SZ name it LocalizedString On XP and Windows 2000 with SP3 for the value type in "%Username% at %Computername%" without the quotes save it and refresh with an F5

2) You can copy to their individual computers a background that has the computer name written on in paint. We did this for the longest time and it works well as long as the users can't change their backgrounds.

3) Lastly you can make it so you can get their machine name from their comand prompt window without even having to type in a command -

a)again use the registry to go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Command Processor 
b) From the Edit menu, select New, String Value. (may already have AutoRun if so skip to step d)
c) Enter a name of AutoRun, then press Enter. 
d) Double-click the new value, set it to "prompt [%computername%]$S$P$G" (don't type the quotes), then press Enter.

Now in front of your directory tree you will have the computer name listed.

just a few ways to get to the machine name a little easier for the users stand point.

As far as finding out a machine name from knowing a username I have not seen such a solution unless you want to do a blanket nbtstat and then collect the data till you find the user... sounds like more work than just implementing something like above and asking them though.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Or asking the IT guys for the list.


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## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

NBTscan may help but I am still unsure as to what you are trying to accomplish.

would be nice to know what kind of updates you are talking about. Most of this can be done thru the server if it is domain or netware network. 

You can also use WSUS for Windows Updates.


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## break_it (Jul 29, 2005)

Dear John,

If I go and ask the IT guys for the list how will I show them that I can do the programming stuff I told you earlier that I want to make an impression.

For all other friends,

I just want to write a code which can find out that in my LAN/Domain which computers are connected to Internet .
So that I can know on which computers I have to install the antivirus updates/Firewall etc.


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## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

You dont have your Antivirus set to Auto Update? That seems like suicide.


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## break_it (Jul 29, 2005)

Dear John,

I was expecting some ideas from you!!!! since two days I guess my thread has died down and no one is here to guide me


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## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

I gave you some ideas but I am still unsure as to what your goal is on this project.


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