On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:31:38 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

> Please note that I consider security, privacy, and anonymity to be
> quite separate issues. You can easily have one, without the others. I
> think you're talking about "basic anonymity"

Yes Jeff. Thank you. Anonymity is what I'm looking for. My mistake.
BTW, I assume net anonymity is something many would want, not just me.

This request is for information leading to reasonably simple anonymity by
randomizing critical hardware information such as a router MAC address &
router hostname (Linksys).

> Many home routers have a syslog feature.
> If yours does, try the free version of:
> <http://www.kiwisyslog.com>
> <http://www.linklogger.com>
> <http://home.comcast.net/~jay.deboer/airsnare/>
> <http://svs.sv.funpic.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1&Itemid =63>

Oh yes! Now we're getting somewhere. I will try all four and report back. I
have a Linksys router.

> .. my guess is that they report the connecting MAC and IP address,
> but not the hostname. Some grab the RDNS name, which is usually a
> conglomeration of the IP address and domain name, thus ignoring the
> user assigned host name.

This is the key question!
QUESTION: What is logged by the ISP.

Nobody seems to know the true answer.
You've kindly hazarded a guess, which I appreciate and others will too.

This news of the "domain" name kicking in has me a bit confused since my
home router, to my knowledge, doesn't have a "domain name". It has a
section for ROUTER NAME, HOST NAME, and DOMAIN NAME, but only the router
hostname is required.

I wonder if we can find confirming information as to what exactly an ISP
stores. It seems to me I can't possibly have a clue about anonymity on the
net if I don't even know what the ISP actually logs. Neither can anyone
else without this most basic of information, it seems to me.