INTERNET ARTICLES

IP Address Tracing

IP address tracing is very useful if you want to locate online fraudsters or block unwanted visitors to your websites ...

Everywhere you go on the Internet, you leave a trail of information behind you. Don’t let that scare you, because to the average person, this means very little. If you are up to no good, however, IP address tracing can lead someone to finding you, and you aren’t as anonymous as you would like to think. Your IP address is your computer's address, so to speak, but it won’t give out as much information as some would like you to think.

I use IP address tracing for one of my websites. Every computer has an IP, and if someone is causing trouble, I can block that IP address from viewing or posting on the site. This is quite common on the Internet, and for the most part, it is effective at keeping unsavory people away. They can also come back with a new user name, but if they have the same IP address, you are going to be able to match them up.

Don’t fret about people getting a hold of your number and using IP address tracing to show up at your front door, however. For the most part, all the information they can get is where you are located, and usually this is not exact. If you use IP address tracing to look up my number, for example, it gives the location of my Internet provider, which happens to be an hour and a half away by car. Not exactly exact science. 

However, there are exceptions. If you are involved in something online that is considered illegal, there are ways the authorities can find you, and it begins with IP address tracing. This can be tricky, but under the right circumstances, your Internet provider may be forced to give up your name and physical address. I’m not really sure about the specifics of this, but this is how many people were caught, and were later fined, downloading illegal copies of music online. 

Remember that whatever you do online will leave information about your computer. Some can use IP address tracing to find out your location, and take legal action if needed. For the most part, however, you are safe from prying eyes. Someone who uses IP address tracing to find out your location cannot call up your service provider and ask for more specific information on you. If you are in doubt as to what your provider’s policies are about your online privacy, give them a call and ask for specific information.

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