david875
asked on
How can an ISP track their clients?
Hello,
I have a curious question, how can an ISP track their clients that use 3G usb wireless modems specially that we knows that the users get a dynamic IP. Any idea?
I have a curious question, how can an ISP track their clients that use 3G usb wireless modems specially that we knows that the users get a dynamic IP. Any idea?
Expanding a little on the above, the MAC address, IMEI (smartphones also have MAC addresses), is something like a serial number, or, a unique number that no other device is supposed to have (they are assigned at manufacturing). The manufacturers are provided with a batch of numbers to use and they imbed these numbers in the device to be available when requested.
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ASKER
For exemple my ipconfig shows my usb modem as :
Suffixe DNS propre à la connexion :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface
Adresse physique . . . . . . . . .: 00-53-45-00-00-00
But this is not my MAC address, because it's not my NIC MAC, the provider just gave me that MAC, so i believe that it is IMEI that exist on the back of the modem, but how can the ISP track that i used such IP in a specific time in case i changed it and got a new IP. they have sort of History ? I mean IMEI match an IP?
Suffixe DNS propre à la connexion :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface
Adresse physique . . . . . . . . .: 00-53-45-00-00-00
But this is not my MAC address, because it's not my NIC MAC, the provider just gave me that MAC, so i believe that it is IMEI that exist on the back of the modem, but how can the ISP track that i used such IP in a specific time in case i changed it and got a new IP. they have sort of History ? I mean IMEI match an IP?
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Some people... on a computer network, change manually their IP addresses. When they do this, sometimes they assign an IP address that is already in use.
When this happens, the computer will receive a message that the IP address is already in use and report the conflict. The system will remain in conflict until the problem of duplicate IP addresses has been solved.
I'm not sure if you can change it manually on a smartphone or a 3G USB Modem, I have never tried it but I guess you probably can figure a way (everything is possible).
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When this happens, the computer will receive a message that the IP address is already in use and report the conflict. The system will remain in conflict until the problem of duplicate IP addresses has been solved.
I'm not sure if you can change it manually on a smartphone or a 3G USB Modem, I have never tried it but I guess you probably can figure a way (everything is possible).
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ASKER
ok thank you
ASKER
Just one Last thing, i have recently remarked that i was using an IP that my ISP assigned to me and have been used by someone else, when i go to rapidshare for exemple and try to download something it says, someone already downloading from this IP address, i think the provider has PAT behind the firewalls not NAT exactly, what you think? so how can they track this thing? based on port?
If you are using and application such as "Hide My IP" or other anonimizer or if you are trying to download several files simultaneously, the RapidShare servers detect this and do not allow it.
When I've tried to download using "Hide My IP" from RapidShare, I'm usually trying to load multiple files. If the IP I got assigned by the anonimizer has just been used (or is currently downloading) and the other person who is using it, requested another IP to beat the system and do another simultaneous download, then RapidShare would allow him the 2nd download but the first download is still using the first IP address provided thus why you are getting the message.... it is very common for heavy downloaders to come across this....
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When I've tried to download using "Hide My IP" from RapidShare, I'm usually trying to load multiple files. If the IP I got assigned by the anonimizer has just been used (or is currently downloading) and the other person who is using it, requested another IP to beat the system and do another simultaneous download, then RapidShare would allow him the 2nd download but the first download is still using the first IP address provided thus why you are getting the message.... it is very common for heavy downloaders to come across this....
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As for your question regarding PAT... from Wikipedia (they word it much better than I can dream of):
"...Port Address Translation (PAT) is a feature of a network device that translates TCP or UDP communications made between hosts on a private network and hosts on a public network. It allows a single public IP address to be used by many hosts on a private network, which is usually a Local Area Network or LAN.
A PAT device transparently modifies IP packets as they pass through it. The modifications make all the packets which it sends to the public network from the multiple hosts on the private network appear to originate from a single host, (the PAT device) on the public network.
PAT is a subset of NAT, and is closely related to the concept of Network Address Translation. PAT is also known as NAT Overload. In PAT there is generally only one publicly exposed IP address and multiple private hosts connecting through the exposed address. Incoming packets from the public network are routed to their destinations on the private network by reference to a table held within the PAT device which keeps track of public and private port pairs.
In PAT, both the sender's private IP and port number are modified; the PAT device chooses the port numbers which will be seen by hosts on the public network. In this way, PAT operates at layer 3 (network) and 4 (transport) of the OSI model, whereas basic NAT only operates at layer 3..."
In other words... Yes, this could be the case.
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"...Port Address Translation (PAT) is a feature of a network device that translates TCP or UDP communications made between hosts on a private network and hosts on a public network. It allows a single public IP address to be used by many hosts on a private network, which is usually a Local Area Network or LAN.
A PAT device transparently modifies IP packets as they pass through it. The modifications make all the packets which it sends to the public network from the multiple hosts on the private network appear to originate from a single host, (the PAT device) on the public network.
PAT is a subset of NAT, and is closely related to the concept of Network Address Translation. PAT is also known as NAT Overload. In PAT there is generally only one publicly exposed IP address and multiple private hosts connecting through the exposed address. Incoming packets from the public network are routed to their destinations on the private network by reference to a table held within the PAT device which keeps track of public and private port pairs.
In PAT, both the sender's private IP and port number are modified; the PAT device chooses the port numbers which will be seen by hosts on the public network. In this way, PAT operates at layer 3 (network) and 4 (transport) of the OSI model, whereas basic NAT only operates at layer 3..."
In other words... Yes, this could be the case.
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ASKER
the ISP can know your passwords when you log in to your email or paypal or banking access point? passwords are stored?
Well, that is a whole different subject and question...lol.
The answer: maybe. This type of communication is normally encrypted.
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The answer: maybe. This type of communication is normally encrypted.
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ASKER
yes i know :D if they can access my email then this would be a serious problem :D
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