how does a site know whether or not my computer is unique, from ip address? can they know what my internal ip address is, or is it only dependent on external ip address, ie. changing my external ip address they think im unique? are there other ways they can know whether im uniq or not
2007-09-21 15:31:01 · 4 answers · asked by Frosty Z 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Security
The site only knows your external address, which tells them at least the ISP. If you have a static IP address from your ISP (rare) the address never changes and identifies your router or PC. If you have dynamic address from your ISP (most) , your external address changes every day or so, within the pool of addresses maintained by the ISP. You may have the same external address you had yesterday, or it could be different.
2007-09-21 15:59:55 · answer #1 · answered by Computer Guy 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I believe you are improperly using the term "unique".
Each computer that connects to the internet is assigned a unique IP address. All that means is that there are no two the same.
If you have a router or wireless router set up at your home then all of the computers that are "behind" the router are assigned private IP addresses... there are a few classes of private IP addresses.. for instance the two usually assigned y home routers are either 10.*.*.* or 192.168.*.*
These addresses are not unique because anyone can have the same IP address as long as they are not behind the same router.
What the outside world sees is the external unique IP address that is automatically assigned to you by your ISP / service provider.
If you want to see what your computer is using as it's IP address... click Start > Run > type cmd > hit enter
this will bring up a command prompt
type ipconfig and you will see the IP address your computer is using.
If you are behing a router then you will have one of the private IP addresses... but when you connect to the internet the IP address your router is using is what the outside world will see.
Each Network Interface Card (NIC) also has a MAC address.. and no two in the entire world should be the same.
ARP (address resolution protocol) is what translates IP address to MAC address.
good luck.
2007-09-22 00:37:43 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are a unique hit. Your EXTERNAL IP is being looked at in this case. That means your IP has never been there.
2007-09-21 22:34:19 · answer #3 · answered by Collin L 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
your ip address is an identifier that is unique to your computer every comp. has an ip address its like a street address or a phone #
2007-09-21 22:39:41 · answer #4 · answered by Holly B 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋