# What information is transmitted to a network owner about the router?

**URL:** <https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/what-information-is-transmitted-to-a-network-owner-about-the-router/63932>\
**Category:** Router\
**Created:** [September 12, 2025, 8:03am UTC](https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/what-information-is-transmitted-to-a-network-owner-about-the-router/63932 "2025-09-12T08:03:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 5

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![9b9e69c2-4b75-4420](https://forum-assets.gl-inet.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/9/a587f6/32.png) [@9b9e69c2-4b75-4420](https://forum.gl-inet.com/u/9b9e69c2-4b75-4420)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2025, 12:06am UTC](https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/what-information-is-transmitted-to-a-network-owner-about-the-router/63932/5 "2025-09-13T00:06:32Z")

</div>

I'm not sure I'd count on it to evade the spooks as twelve chars is twelve chars but here you go:

```sh
mkdir -p /root/.bin/ # make a directory to store the shell script/sh
cat <<- 'EOF' > /root/.bin/rand-hostname
	#!/bin/sh
	# shellcheck shell=sh

	RANDOM_HOSTNAME="$(tr -dc 'a-z0-9' < /dev/urandom | head -c 12)"

	uci set system.@system[0].hostname="${RANDOM_HOSTNAME}"
	uci commit system
	/etc/init.d/system restart
	logger -t hostname "Host name changed to ${RANDOM_HOSTNAME} [✔]"
	/etc/init.d/network restart

	exit 0

EOF
chmod +x /root/.bin/rand-hostname # make the sh executable

```

⚠ Always execute this _before_ connecting to WAN/WWLAN or via Repeater otherwise the device's real host name will be transmitted to the upstream network provider before you change it:

```auto
/root/.bin/rand-hostname # run it

```

```sh
logread -e hostname # check the device logs the hostname was changed
uci show system.@system[0].hostname # show the current hostname in effect

```

### Pro Tip

Update your `.profile` path to include `/root/.bin` so you can run it right after logging in via SSH by `rand-hostname`. See related below.

> [@GL-AR300M vs GL-AR300M16 questions](https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/gl-ar300m-vs-gl-ar300m16-questions/58000/4):
>
> tags: extroot alternative, extalt, extroot, storage expansion, stor expansion, liblink, script, shell, certa, gl-ar750, limited flash space, limited storage space, opkg destination, usb drive, usb stick, flash card, usdhc card, sd card So the basis of opkg install $packageHere -d $targetStorageHere seems to work as expected once the proper $PATH, libraries & xterm dependencies are set. You'd have to run liblink.sh after every firmware upgrade but it's easier to do that than risk extroot which m…

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