Getting all worked up over IP tracing

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While your synopsis of tracing an IP address is correct; I would simply like to point out some things that were not addressed in either your article or podcast.

While the general public may not have the knowledge or desire to hunt down individual ip addresses; it's not very difficult for someone like myself to utilize a degree of social engineering which doesn't require technical knowledge of a computer or even how networks operate.

I would just like to state that worries can be eliminated by simply utilizing what are known as proxy servers that will mask the originating IP address so that there is zero opportunity for anyone to be able to pin point an actual geographical location. Of course I am sure you know the routine, I was just shocked that it wasn't mentioned and a preventive measure.

Good points all. There's only so much room for me in a 3 minute podcast :-).

I just received a message stating that someone with I.P. address 149.225.126.87 has tried three times to access my pay pal account. I googled the I.P. and it gave me a persons name, address, and e-mail. Then all the messages that he has written. It shows up from Romania? But the address is on the East Coast?

Those are the result of viruses and spyware. You can, and should, safely ignore it.

proxy servers that will mask the originating IP address so that there is zero opportunity for anyone to be able to pin point an actual geographical location.

Is that tru that taher is zero chance to get location?!?

I wouldn't call it zero. The owner of the proxy server could be tracing or logging where things come from and go to. You're kinda trusting that they won't reveal that information.

i am part of a pregnancy forum and i have made many friends there but there are some people coming on and taking our pics and our baby pics and photoshopping them to look horrible and they are some how getting our personal info like home addresses and phone numbers we think it may be someone that was or is part or the forum but no one will admit it is there anyway to get thier ip address so that we can figure out if it is someone that we know that way we dont give them anymore personal info

The forum software could certainly have it, but it will take the forum administrator, or perhaps even the server administrator to retrieve it.

But I will warn you that the IP address may not get you very far even if you do get it. See this article: http://ask-leo.com/can_i_get_someones_name_and_address_from_their_ip_address.html

I have a problem with someone harassing my daughter online with AIM. How do i find out who it is and report it to the police. The person has made threatning remarks.

Report the situation to AOL.