Can you experts settle an arguement?

metalmackey · 3 Nov 2006 at 18:10

Hi

Is there any way a hacker can get your street or even your house number from the ip address? I said its impossible and my brother says it is possible. So who is right?

Thanks

Werewolf · 3 Nov 2006 at 18:21

I think it depends on your ISP, but not down to the house number.

For example with Cable in the U.K. the IP address is usually pretty localised, (and know how to read it and the network layout) it could probably place you within a couple of streets.

However with most ISP's the closest you mght get is the town or county.

MNuTz · 3 Nov 2006 at 19:54

Not unless you have a static IP address and somehow the hacker managed to get into account info inside the ISP and link your IP to your account.

ns400r · 3 Nov 2006 at 20:07

Yes, it can be done but they would need to access the ISP records that contain your details.

Find your IP address. Find your account details then tally them together.
If the hacker can do this then I'd invite them around for a cuppa and a chat. You'd learn sooooooooo much. :cool:

Ricochet J · 3 Nov 2006 at 20:23

Nope. It'd be hard. Very very hard, even for the most eleet hacker, especially as most ISPs assign IPs via DHCP.

mike1210 · 3 Nov 2006 at 20:30

aye, it be narrowed down to an ISP, although when i lookup my Zen IP address, my name is listed on the information given :eek:

Hyper · 3 Nov 2006 at 20:31

By any chance have you wound someone up a little to far over msn or something and now you think they are going to come and shoot you

On a serious note, they need more than a IP to find you put it that way

Beansprout · 3 Nov 2006 at 20:33

The closest you can get would be the nearest router. If you knew the naming conventions you could work out where the router is, and there are numerous 'IP geolocation' services which know where routers are and hence work out which city you're in, roughly.

But you can't get more precise than that

ns400r · 3 Nov 2006 at 20:38

eXSBass said:
Nope. It'd be hard. Very very hard, even for the most eleet hacker, especially as most ISPs assign IPs via DHCP.

Taking my cable as an example.

My cable modem has a unique ID number. That number is logged and registered to my name/house in the account details held by my ISP. Hack those details then cross reference with the stored user database information on the servers and bingo.

Amp34 · 3 Nov 2006 at 21:07

Hyper said:
By any chance have you wound someone up a little to far over msn or something and now you think they are going to come and shoot you

So he doesnt need to worry unless it is george bush or the president of NK then they would only need to know the area of the country. BOOM!

tolien · 3 Nov 2006 at 21:18

Most anyone's likely to get is your country, or perhaps an area if you're on cable.

mike1210 said:
when i lookup my Zen IP address, my name is listed on the information given

Only if you have a /29 or more.

MAllen · 4 Nov 2006 at 11:47

If you work for the ISP, then maybe you can do this. Otherwise, nope.

It will just be to a location owned by the ISP. I always find it funny when those adverts pop up saying "girls in your area...." and then name a town 9 miles away where I guess the NTL proxy is hosted. LOL.

Captain_Slick · 4 Nov 2006 at 12:02

ns400r said:
Taking my cable as an example.

My cable modem has a unique ID number. That number is logged and registered to my name/house in the account details held by my ISP. Hack those details then cross reference with the stored user database information on the servers and bingo.

And how easy is it to Hack those details then cross reference with the stored user database information on the servers?

MAllen · 4 Nov 2006 at 12:12

Captain_Slick said:
And how easy is it to Hack those details then cross reference with the stored user database information on the servers?

It should be very difficult as ISPs will have a legal requirement to protect their data. And they would get into serious trouble if it was too easy (and it would soon hit the papers).

Though, technically, everything is hackable if it is open to the outside world. Depends on passwords. :rolleyes:

In this case, the reality is, the guy ain't gonna be able to find you. Unless you have done something very illegal, and then he could write to your ISP and ask who you are. For example, if you have been doing some dodgy sales on EBay or threatening injury or death on a forum, or doing something very illegal that the police have spotted, then it shouldn't take a solicitor too long to demand proof of who you are.

Don't forget that you are not anonymous on the internet. After the RIP act came in, ISPs legally need to keep a track of all IP Addresses and who they were allocated and when. Just in case you are a dodgy terrorist, blah blah

bitslice · 4 Nov 2006 at 14:12

I remember on a hack/phreak forum many years ago, someone challanged the group to identify him (he was an unpopular troll). I think they had his picture and address a few days later....

It was more likely done through picking out traceable info from his internet activity or calling a contact in an ISP.

I did the same myself to a chap on the same group who was making out he was l33t. So I posted his initials and uni course the next day. Hacking wasn't involved though, I just happened to know the Admin at his uni...

It freaked him out though, that he wasn't as anonoymous as he thought

.