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DSL public IP static or DHCP?

I've got a website registration process which I need to protect from malicious users. I want to limit registrants to 5 accounts per IP. Now I'm aware that DSL typically uses DHCP to assign IP's to customers. Does that thwart my ability to identify a particular user by IP? Is a DSL provider's DHCP going to change a user's IP every few days?

I don't want some user being able to pre-register 50 accounts. Do I have any option here. I'm already preventing robot registrants by using captcha.

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Steven Vona

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agonza07

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profgeek

I can't speak to what other providers do, but my IP doesn't change even when I reboot my router, and my DSL is DHCP (I don't pay for a static IP). So, based on that, I would surmise that the IP doesn't change very often, at least in my experience with it. But since providers will vary in how they handle that, I would agree with the suggestions above that you also use some other method. Of course, email addresses are easily gamed, as I personally have a dozen or so. Still, you can deter users by making them provide both. If they don't understand your setup, they aren't likely to try to game it.

Phil5780

ASKER

Good point, email as the tracking entity is the best choice. I wouldn't want a client with 1000 users and a single IP to be limited to 5 accounts.