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I recently ended up on the DriveCleaner website by mistake. It attempts to convince you that your computer needs scanning, which I know it doesn't. But what worried me is that its fake version of the My Computer window not only contained my IP address, but pinpointed me geographically to the city I am in! Is it guessing? If not, can I prevent online malware from knowing precisely where I am like this?

I am using Windows XP, connected via a LinkSys wireless router to BT Broadband connection. I am using Firefox and Norton Internet Security, and foolishly thought this would protect me. When I go to GRC ShieldsUP, all port tests come back stealth green... so... what gives?

2007-03-24 02:54:01 · 5 answers · asked by rissaofthesaiyajin 3 in Computers & Internet Security

5 answers

No. Your ISP gives you an IP specific to your internet service on your computer. This is needed to send information back and forth on the internet. Your IP can be looked up to see what area you are in by referencing the location of the ISP.
If you want to visit a website or use a service that you do not want to have your IP seen on use a proxy.
(Proxy.org, Ktunnel.com, Vtunnel.com etc)

2007-03-24 03:04:31 · answer #1 · answered by Mr Ale 4 · 0 0

An IP address is like an identity for your computer on the internet. See, you can't be on the internet without that identity. It's like being able to receive snail mail without having a postal box or house address. Doesn't work.

OK, so when you go to a website (in this case for DriveCleaner), you ask the website for a webpage right? Well, where does this webpage go? Back to you. By you, I mean your computer, which is identified by your IP.

So yeah, when you go to a website, they know your IP address. Now the question is how they know your geographical location. Only law enforcement can get the exact street address for an IP. But you can make guesses as to regions for IP addresses.

THat's because of two reasons. There's only a finite number of IP addresses, so there's a range of IP addresses each country uses. And sort of like a phone number, the beginning parts of an IP address can also indicate the region the IP is coming from / ISP. This DriveCleaner website pays a company that maintains this data. An example is GeoIP http://www.maxmind.com/ although there's more.

So understand that when you go onto the internet, you tend to give away these pieces of information. If you want anonymity, Google and read up about it. But you can't ever get perfect anonymity on the internet.

2007-03-24 10:07:39 · answer #2 · answered by csanon 6 · 0 0

I would guess it is the IP address and BT have IP addresses sorted by locations..

You can use a proxy (Foreign) so you are unknown anywhere you surf..

Hope it helps,

2007-03-24 10:00:53 · answer #3 · answered by ..::|QATAR|::.. 4 · 0 0

It's not really your location it's more your ISP's location. They can get your ISP's location via the IP address. You probably just live near your ISP.

2007-03-24 10:02:42 · answer #4 · answered by ih8u 3 · 0 0

Check the connections.

2007-03-24 10:12:25 · answer #5 · answered by good day 2 · 0 1

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