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[Vieo]

For example, can you tell what country/state/city or ISP, etc. a computer is located by looking at it's IP?

 

[DarienA]

For example, can you tell what country/state/city or ISP, etc. a computer is located by looking at it's IP?

Yes and they can also tell when the last time was that you jerked off to porn in front of the PC.

EDIT: Seriously though I believe there are tools that will let you get an approximation of the location by the IP address, I just don't know how detailed they are.

 

[Phoenix]

Yes you call tell what region of the country (and sometimes city/state) from an IP address that is assigned from a particular ISP.

 

[Doth Togo]

I am the cookie monster.

Muhahahahahah...

 

[Cold Shadow]

Not always true, depends on your ISP.

 

[Vieo]

What if you connect to the internet using dial-up? Do you get a different IP every time you connect or will it be totally random?

 

[Phoenix]

What if you connect to the internet using dial-up? Do you get a different IP every time you connect or will it be totally random?

You will most likely have a different IP address everytime you connect. Perhaps you should answer the question: why do you want to know?

 

[Vieo]

You will most likely have a different IP address everytime you connect. Perhaps you should answer the question: why do you want to know?

I was just wondering. =P

This could be useful information if I ever find some way to host a deathmatch in DOOMII. =)

 

[DarienA]

What if you connect to the internet using dial-up? Do you get a different IP every time you connect or will it be totally random?

Every ISP that gives you a connection to the internet has a host of IP address that it delegates down to those who connect to it.

When a server issues and IP address it can also specify the lifetime of that address. It could be just for that session... if could give you that IP address on "hold" for X # of days.

It depends on the ISP.

 

[maharg]

See the whois box on www.arin.net (American Registry for Internet Numbers, the north american delegate for IANA, the internet assigned numbers authority). It's not your address though, it's one of your upstream providers. If you're on a national IP, you may get their headquarters even if you live in a different state.

 

[DJ Demon J]

The only entity that can conclusively connect YOU to your IP address is your ISP. However, IP block information is freely available and you can determine based on who owns which block in 90% of the cases where that IP address is...I work with ISPs to get updated lists of IP blocks that they own, so when I'm investigating a pirate, in many cases I'll know the state, and sometimes the city, that they live in without needing to subpoena an ISP for personal info.

 

[Ecrofirt]

But you'll never know my address, Jason! Hahaha </pirate>


Anyway, this brings up an interesting question.

What are IP scramblers, and how do they work?

And to our ESA boys Doth and Demon, in your experience do they actually work? Have you had any experience with them where they've pointed you to the wrong person when going after a pirate?

 

[Phoenix]

There is enough information available in an IP address to help a person narrow significantly enough the location of a person. Irregardless, if someone has your IP and your ISP, they can get exactly who you are by requesting it from the ISP (if the ISP is being charitable - not) or with a court order for the ISP.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

things like this don't work as well

http://www.networldmap.com/TryIt.htm

http://www.melissadata.com/Lookups/iplocation.asp

but I have seen a software on TechTV long ago that does a much better job finding IP location

 

[Phoenix]

Those are reasonably accurate. I was reasonably close to CNN Center and within the same city for my comcast line and the other servers sitting at my house by entering various IP addresses into networldmap.com. But yes, there are other ways to get even closer.

If you've ever noticed that some websites are serving ads in your state/city, that's why. There is good enough non-personally identifiable information (legal basis) to get pretty close to where you are in the world based on your IP address.

 

[alejob]

Googles front page recognizes the country you are in.

 

[Vieo]

Hmmm.. It would seem that the very first numbers in my IP are always 172. I use AOL. =P

 

[Ecrofirt]

Googles front page recognizes the country you are in.

Really? Cool. I didn't know that.

 

[Mashing]

Some ping tools (Neotrace for example) will give you a graphical map of hte locations of each hop between you and whatever you pinged. Some of them even include street addresses.