Obtain the name of the client's computer within a web-based application

Question

Obtain the name of the client's computer within a web-based application

I am working on a Java web application that requires the computer name of clients connecting to it. Initially, I attempted to retrieve this information using JavaScript and store it in a hidden form field. However, I discovered that JavaScript does not have the ability to access this data.

Next, I tried utilizing an applet and accessing its methods via JavaScript. While this method proved successful on Firefox, it did not work on newer versions of Chrome which do not support applets.

I then considered transitioning to a Java Webstart application, but realized that JavaScript would be unable to access its methods since the Webstart application runs outside the browser.

Another approach I explored was saving the hostname in the environment TEMP directory. This worked on Firefox with Linux and Java7 but failed on Firefox with Windows and Java8, as the applet did not run. Furthermore, I encountered difficulties accessing the defined TEMP directory and reading the file in JavaScript.

Despite exhausting these options, I am still seeking input and suggestions from the community. Does anyone have any ideas on how to achieve this? Have I overlooked a simple solution?

It is important to note that I specifically require the computer-defined hostname, not the DNS-resolved IP address.

Thank you for any assistance you can provide.

javascript java firefox applet client

Answer 1

Answer №1

Your Javawebstartet Application has the capability to host a Websocket listener, allowing you to access the application via Websocket from JavaScript. Please note that this only works with HTTP, not HTTPS.

On the Java side, you can utilize the websocket implementation from

For JavaScript, I recommend using https://code.google.com/p/jquery-websocket/. You can also find examples there to guide you through the process. Remember that websocket communication is asynchronous, so make sure to create the websocket with the appropriate callback method for handling responses.

var ws = $.websocket("ws://127.0.0.1:" + lport + "/", {
            events: {
                say: function (e) {
                    //showMsg(e.data);

                }
            }
        });

Then, you can send a request to the server using the following code snippet:

ws.send(0, jsonData)

Answer 2

Your Javawebstartet Application has the capability to host a Websocket listener, allowing you to access the application via Websocket from JavaScript. Please note that this only works with HTTP, not HTTPS.

On the Java side, you can utilize the websocket implementation from

For JavaScript, I recommend using https://code.google.com/p/jquery-websocket/. You can also find examples there to guide you through the process. Remember that websocket communication is asynchronous, so make sure to create the websocket with the appropriate callback method for handling responses.

var ws = $.websocket("ws://127.0.0.1:" + lport + "/", {
            events: {
                say: function (e) {
                    //showMsg(e.data);

                }
            }
        });

Then, you can send a request to the server using the following code snippet:

ws.send(0, jsonData)

Answer 3

Answer №2

Accessing the computer name using JavaScript is not possible due to security measures in place. JavaScript does not have the capability to retrieve the computer name.

Answer 4

Accessing the computer name using JavaScript is not possible due to security measures in place. JavaScript does not have the capability to retrieve the computer name.

Answer 5

Answer №3

Having the IP address allows you to perform the following:

InetAddress inetAddress = InetAddress.getByName("127.64.84.2"); // Obtain the host InetAddress using the IP
System.out.println("Host Name: " + inetAddress.getHostName()); // Display the host information

Answer 6

Having the IP address allows you to perform the following:

InetAddress inetAddress = InetAddress.getByName("127.64.84.2"); // Obtain the host InetAddress using the IP
System.out.println("Host Name: " + inetAddress.getHostName()); // Display the host information

Answer 7

Answer №4

Ever worked with servlets before?

public void doGet(HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse res) throws IOException { 

    final String clientHost = req.getRemoteHost(); // client's hostname
    System.out.println("Client hostname: "+clientHost);

    String clientMachineName = null;
    String clientMachineAddress = req.getRemoteAddr();
    System.out.println("Client machine address: " + clientMachineAddress);
    try {
        InetAddress inetAddress = InetAddress.getByName(clientMachineAddress);

        clientMachineName = inetAddress.getHostName();
        System.out.println("Client machine name: " + clientMachineName);
       } 
    } catch (UnknownHostException e) {

        }

    System.out.println("Client machine name: " + clientMachineName);
}

Answer 8

Ever worked with servlets before?

public void doGet(HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse res) throws IOException { 

    final String clientHost = req.getRemoteHost(); // client's hostname
    System.out.println("Client hostname: "+clientHost);

    String clientMachineName = null;
    String clientMachineAddress = req.getRemoteAddr();
    System.out.println("Client machine address: " + clientMachineAddress);
    try {
        InetAddress inetAddress = InetAddress.getByName(clientMachineAddress);

        clientMachineName = inetAddress.getHostName();
        System.out.println("Client machine name: " + clientMachineName);
       } 
    } catch (UnknownHostException e) {

        }

    System.out.println("Client machine name: " + clientMachineName);
}

Answer 9

Answer №5

One way to retrieve the current host name without resolving it from DNS is by using the

InetAddress.getLocalHost().getHostName()

method as stated in the documentation.

Answer 10

One way to retrieve the current host name without resolving it from DNS is by using the

InetAddress.getLocalHost().getHostName()

method as stated in the documentation.

Obtain the name of the client's computer within a web-based application

Answer №1

Answer №2

Answer №3

Answer №4

Answer №5

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