Device names in WiFi hotspot client list

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The Android personal hotspot features a Connection Management tool that displays connected devices, some identified by name and others simply as "Wireless device." Devices like Raspberry Pi and smart plugs show their configured names, while others, such as certain Android tablets and phones, do not. This discrepancy may be due to manufacturers prioritizing privacy, preventing easy discovery of devices, or users not configuring device names. While it is possible to change a device's name through the "About Your Phone" settings, this name may not appear in the hotspot client list. The lack of identifiable names for some devices could stem from a lack of trust in the WiFi network, leading to limited information disclosure.
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The personal hotspot in Android has a Connection Management feature that lists the devices that are currently connected to it. I see that some devices are identified by name, like "raspberrypi" and "ESP_AEEB39" (which is a smart plug). But some devices are just identified as "Wireless device". This is the case with my Android tablet and spare phone. In all cases, the MAC address is shown below the respective name.

I'm just curious why some devices don't get displayed with their actual names as configured in their setups.
 
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The manufacturer doesn't want them to be easily discovered, or the end-user has not set up the name for commercial devices like a phone.

In some cases, like your tablet, there is a means to set it, although offhand, I need to find out the command or area in your setup utility would handle it.

Searching, I found that you can change it via the "About Your Phone" dialog, but the selection name may differ.
 
I have entered a name through "About Phone" and it appears in other contexts like Bluetooth pairing but not in the hotspot client list.
 
Swamp Thing said:
I'm just curious why some devices don't get displayed with their actual names as configured in their setups.
Probably because they do not trust the WiFi network sufficiently to disclose any information to it.
 
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