How do websites identify you

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RoleyBirkin

RoleyBirkin

RoleyBirkin

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Sorry for unusual question, but..

When you go on websites and/or forums, how are you identified? Presumably by the computer IP address?

What about a PC with a wireless card?
 
cookies remeber your details of when you visit a site, small bytes of information that log your accounts etc.
 
When you log in a cookie is set or updated. Your IP address doesn't matter because you're able to log in to a forum\site from different locations. Some sites set cookies to save preferences for a particular browser\machine, unless you block them in your browser settings.
 
RoleyBirkin said:
But supposing, God forbid, you were to be banned from a site.

That surely cannot operate via cookies? - you'd just delete it
Click to expand...

They will ban your login details (account); i.e. forums

However, websites (without login) can ban a specific domain or IP; i.e all people who use "ABC ISP".
 
So to stop a user simply rejoining(after ban) a forum under a new account/user, they will ban the computers IP?

What about another computer on the same network?
 
In most cases, the IP that the site sees is your router's IP. Every machine behind that router has the same IP.
As drak3 was getting at, you can also block groups of IPs.
 
No, you could use a proxy server or try restarting your modem to see if you are assigned a new IP address that isn't blacklisted by the site.

A little bit of advice, don't get banned :P
 
Unfortunately, I'm not highly IT literate! So 'lay' explain about the above options?

Surely moving to a new network would solve?


I don't think anyone 'aims' to get banned too!
 
by cookies and router ip address

don't know why you got banned from wherever, but it's usually for a good reason tbh
 
Would you believe me if I said it wasn't me, but a colleague who's banned?!

Unfortunately, there's forums being run out there by VERY unscrupulous people. Thinking school yard gang, and you'll not be far off.

Anyway. Say the banned user could access a new network to create a new user, say an internet cafe, that would surely get around it?
 
Interested thought can a web site tell the difference between 2 PC after they ahve been thru a nat firewall - assuming both PC's have the same versions of ie etc..
 
edscdk said:
Interested thought can a web site tell the difference between 2 PC after they ahve been thru a nat firewall - assuming both PC's have the same versions of ie etc..
Click to expand...

The only thing "visible" to the server (the website is running on) is the router and the external IP (the one your service provider assigned to you). Everything else behind the router (and the NAT running on board the router) is "hidden".

Therefore, the answer is no. This is why websites will install a "cookie" on your computer so they can identify the specific machine behind the common IP address.
 
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