IP address blocks

In rkrrrr.com, on
Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:13:16 -0400, Ron Parker,
wrote:

It may appear that way from the way he acts like Dennis, but Jman is
probably not Dennis. Still in Canada, apparently, but it appears he's
in Alberta rather than in BC.

All Shaw Cable IP addresses will show Alberta when
looked up in the whois database, regardless of the
location of the computer, from BC to Halifax.
That's because the whois database shows where an
ISP is headquartered rather than the actual location
of the IP address.

For instance, if you do a whois lookup on my IP
address, (which is assigned to my router), Herndon,
VA will pop up. If you do a traceroute to that
address, you might conclude I'm posting from NY.
Nope. Not in VA or in NY.

The IP address in the NNTP-Posting-Host: header isn't
as precise as a fingerprint for identifying the user,
nor is it as precise as a zip code for identifying the
location. It is, however, in every way imagineable,
analogous to, and as precise as, a license plate number.

It is, however, in every way imagineable,
analogous to, and as precise as, a license plate number.

Do a million people have the same license plate number?

On Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:34:32 -0400, Steve Ackman wrote:
In rkrrrr.com, on
Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:13:16 -0400, Ron Parker,
wrote:

It may appear that way from the way he acts like Dennis, but Jman is
probably not Dennis. Still in Canada, apparently, but it appears he's
in Alberta rather than in BC.

All Shaw Cable IP addresses will show Alberta when
looked up in the whois database, regardless of the
location of the computer, from BC to Halifax.
That's because the whois database shows where an
ISP is headquartered rather than the actual location
of the IP address.

However, a PTR lookup on the IP address shows that its canonical name
contains a number and the string "cg", which I took to mean it's a
dynamically assigned IP in or near Calgary. Looking up an IP from one of
Dennis's recent postings gave a similar but not identical result, containing
(if I remember correctly) the string "vc" which I took to be either Victoria
or Vancouver.


It is, however, in every way imagineable,
analogous to, and as precise as, a license plate number.

Except when proxy servers are in use and they're posting from a web
interface, of course, which is what they claim their ISP does. What a
crappy ISP that must be.

(On the other hand, given that the canonical names look so much like those
traditionally given to dynamic IP pools, I'm not inclined to believe that
the trolls are telling the truth about the proxy server. I mean, after all,
their lips are moving as they type, right?)

If they are riding the same bus.....yes.


wrote:

It is, however, in every way imagineable,

analogous to, and as precise as, a license plate number.


Do a million people have the same license plate number?

In rkrrrr.com, on
Thu, 12 Jul 2007 01:57:21 -0400, Ron Parker,
wrote:

However, a PTR lookup on the IP address shows that its canonical name
contains a number and the string "cg", which I took to mean it's a
dynamically assigned IP in or near Calgary. Looking up an IP from one of
Dennis's recent postings gave a similar but not identical result, containing
(if I remember correctly) the string "vc" which I took to be either Victoria
or Vancouver.

I'm seeing a "gv" which doesn't ring any bells off
the top of my head and "cg"... but my IP address seems
to indicate I'm in NY, so I always put a great deal of
skepticism in canonical hints like that, though certainly
at times they manage to be pretty accurate. How far are
you from pinevalley?

It is, however, in every way imagineable,
analogous to, and as precise as, a license plate number.

Except when proxy servers are in use and they're posting from a web
interface, of course, which is what they claim their ISP does. What a
crappy ISP that must be.

Well, if that's the case, there must be a WHOLE lot
of proxies. I grepped over 200,000 posts, and neither
of the IP addresses they're using showed up being used
by anyone else. If they're using proxies, they must
be dedicated ones... in which case, that's every bit as
useful as a non-proxified address in terms of
"identifying the vehicle you saw yesterday is the same
one you're seeing today."

(On the other hand, given that the canonical names look so much like those
traditionally given to dynamic IP pools,

They certainly do.
From a the point of looking at unique identifiers,
"dynamic" is really vague in this context. Dennis has
been posting here from 24.68.235.177 since 14 May...

We've lived here over a year now and have had only
two IPs in that time. The first one was for 10 months.
Dynamic just means you're not paying any extra money
to keep the same address, and that you never know when
it'll change next... and of course that a lot of ISPs
will block any port 25 traffic coming from you.

I'm not inclined to believe that
the trolls are telling the truth about the proxy server. I mean, after all,
their lips are moving as they type, right?)

I'm sure their lips are moving as they read too. ;-)

On Thu, 12 Jul 2007 12:26:03 -0400, Steve Ackman wrote:

I'm seeing a "gv" which doesn't ring any bells off
the top of my head and "cg"... but my IP address seems
to indicate I'm in NY, so I always put a great deal of
skepticism in canonical hints like that, though certainly
at times they manage to be pretty accurate. How far are
you from pinevalley?

Ah, right, gv. As I said, I was trying to remember off the top of my head.
I'll revise my earlier comments, then, and say that I assumed the "gv" meant
"Greater Vancouver." Either way, I'm now inclined to believe your more
exhaustive analysis over my own more rushed investigation. Not that it
matters; I'm using a real newsreader, unlike Jason, and I know how to use my
score file.

I'm about 3 miles from Pine Valley, though the Pine Valley I'm near, and
the one Comcast's router is named for, is not the wide spot in the road
between Paoli and English that you'll find if you go looking for Pine Valley,
Indiana.