I have a laptop computer that I use at home and on public networks. I am
wondering if there is some conventional tool (maybe using DHCP or some other
type of service) that identifies the network that I am on.

I need to know whether the laptop is on my home LAN, or an alien LAN.

I configured a Debian computer on a remote LAN last week, and it
automatically obtained a machine name (STUDENT-23). I don't know how it
obtained this, I certainly did not key it (There must be some sort of
automatic allocation of machine names (Is this an extension to DHCP?).

I was thinking of setting up a similar service on my home LAN.

I was thinking of configuring a custom service on a specific port, and
then using a query from the client, to obtain a "markhobley.yi.org"
respose for the local network, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel,
if services already provide LAN identification.

Please advise.

Mark.

--
Mark Hobley,
393 Quinton Road West,
Quinton, BIRMINGHAM.
B32 1QE.