retrive clients computer name

Is there any way via I can retrive the clients computer name?  Kind of like $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] but the computer name instead.

If its not possible via PHP can you tell me any other ways?

it can be done with vb, but it is impossible to do with php sryz

besides... computer name is never really reliable... multiple computers may have the same name. Also, once global IPs are set... you cannot fetch the local machine IP address.

How does the bank websites remember the computer you are on?  Its not by IP address.  Is there any way to distinguish different computers that have the same ip?

ah is there any way to get the computers mac address?

more than likely they have a cookie saved on the computer that includes info like ip address or maybe you entered in somewhere on their site that it's your "home" computer, so when you login from somewhere else, even though your name/pw is correct, the cookie isn't there so it knows you aren't at the same computer. 

no it doesnt use cookies.  does any one use chase???

also look at this https://protect.login.yahoo.com/login/set_pref?.intl=us&.src=ym&.u=3t1es2p47844c&.partner=&pkg=&stepid=&.pd=c=&.crumb=czozMjoiYTQ1NzRmMjY3ZjhmMDlmNGVlMmIwMjBjZDFiNGZkNjEiOw--&.done=https%3A%2F%2Flogin.yahoo.com%2Fconfig%2Fmail%3F.intl%3Dus

nevermind this uses Flash Shared Objects (.sol) Aka. Flash Cookie  and XML file in Userdata folder

any one else?

This is not possible to accomplish using a normal web page. It would be a major breach of privacy if this were possible -- not to mention that it is illegal to collect personal information (that which uniquely identifies an individual computer) without the visitor's knowledge. Several companies have gotten into trouble for this. Of course, I realize you state special circumstances. However, that does not change the facts. You'll just have to settle for asking the visitor to provide this information voluntarily.

the users that will register will have to agree to the TOS....  so your saying there is no possible way to idendify a  computer on the web?  so i can go online and do something illegal and the fbi will not know it came from one specific computer??? i find this hard to believe.  it has to be possible.

Sure it's possible, you can do it with ASP.NET... As for PHP, I'm not too sure... I'm not horribly keept-up with windows commands, but if you were able to view the computer name via the command prompt by doing: ipconfig/all hostname or something, then you would be able to do something like this:

<?php
$computer_name = `ipconfig/all hostname`;

return $computer_name;
?>

But even if you were able to do this, it would cause a conflict for your Linux and Mac Users.

If the user's computer has a static IP address and if that IP address is mapped to a computer name via DNS, then you can get it (sometimes), if not the best you might be able to do is get the IP address.

The following code snippet will get either the name or the IP address:

<?php
    if ($_SERVER["HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR"] != ""){
        $IP = $_SERVER["HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR"];
        $proxy = $_SERVER["REMOTE_ADDR"];
        $host = @gethostbyaddr($_SERVER["HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR"]);
    }else{
        $IP = $_SERVER["REMOTE_ADDR"];
        $host = @gethostbyaddr($_SERVER["REMOTE_ADDR"]);
    }
?>

Ken