Re: OT: IP address
 

I do hunt-downs on people all the time for various services. Most people dont realize how visible and needed an IP is. Internet connections arent 'open a line and hold it'. Everything you do is sent in packets and every packet has your IP. Every email, every newsgroup post, every file download, everything you do includes your ip if someone knows how to read it. Even your Posts here, chats, visitng web pages, although for those its only the admins at the site which can usually see it.

The only "alternative" is various ways to bounce off of another system so that they see that IP instead of yours. The responses go back to the bounce system which then puts your IP back in and sends it to you. You are still trackable but the path is more involved. So you might set up a program to hide your IP using that program but its worthless if you connect by some other means like sending them an email.

Re: OT: IP address
 

That would be a partial answer. Most Users wouldnt know where to get it. But anyone you would be really worried about could run netstat on their own machine to see the connection IP while the program is running. Many firewalls record the connection also. So you would be hiding it from people who probably dont matter.

Re: OT: IP address
 

So...What could someone do with my IP address?

Re: OT: IP address
 

Unless you run your own ISP, not much other than hack into your computer... which is where a decent firewall comes into play.

Re: OT: IP address
 

OK, thanks.

Re: OT: IP address
 

The biggest use of your IP as far as Im concerned is that it proves that you are you. Hiding an IP by using things like reMailers means you can never really claim that you siad anything. People can falsify a post by you which is hard to dispute.

As far as hacking (I prefer the term cracking actually) thats not as big a point as many think. All machines on the net are continually probed by automated scripts looking to see if you are running something they can get into. Hiding your IP doesnt stop that. Having it known applies to cracking only if there is some reason that someone specifically wants to attack YOUR machine instead of some random open box. If you plan to tick off alot of people then using things like reMailers starts to make sense.

Re: OT: IP address
 

OK, thanks again.