IP address

Neo7 · 05-12-2009 4:46pm #1

Hi, is it possible many computers within one organisation to have the same IP address?
Thanks

Dr_Phil · 05-12-2009 4:49pm

the same ip in the same subnet? dont think so.

Neo7 · 05-12-2009 5:25pm

for example many computers in a college with the same IP adress?

Sleipnir · 05-12-2009 5:31pm

Neo7 wrote: »

for example many computers in a college with the same IP adress?

You can't have two computers with the same IP address address in the same subnet.
Think of it like this;
If every house in the country had the same postal address, how would the postman know where to deliver the package he has?

Webmonkey · 05-12-2009 5:42pm

Neo7 wrote: »

for example many computers in a college with the same IP adress?

Are you by any chance going to a website to tell you your IP address? May be going through NAT. However in CIT, we got a full class B address to ourself so we don't need NAT

Anyways, can you explain how you obtaining these IP addresses and what is the subnet. Are they in different labs?

Neo7 · 05-12-2009 5:49pm

I am being abused by a person and i know the IP of their computer. This case is with the police and the police told me this is not enough proof for them because many computers within the organisation this person is sending me the emails from may have the same IP address. Is this correct?

ED E · 05-12-2009 5:54pm

Neo7 wrote: »

I am being abused by a person and i know the IP of their computer. This case is with the police and the police told me this is not enough proof for them because many computers within the organisation this person is sending me the emails from may have the same IP address. Is this correct?

You cant get their IP, only their mailservers IP.

Sleipnir · 05-12-2009 5:59pm

Lethal_Bullet wrote: »

You cant get their IP, only their mailservers IP.

<<snip>> sorry.

OP, I don't know your college's network setup obviously but for example, if they use DHCP then your computer asks for an address and is assigned one automatically by the server from a pool of addresses.
When that IP address becomes available again e.g. if you computer hasn't been on for a week or something, that address goes back into the pool and when another computer connects, it can be given that address. If you connected again, you'd be given a different one.

So just because I have a particular IP address now doesn't mean I'll have the same one next week.

Information such as "which device had which IP address at a particular time" can be logged but it's not always, in fact it usually isn't.

Neo7 · 05-12-2009 6:00pm

I do not know what is the difference between IP and mailservers IP. What I have is I suppose the mailserverse IP, because I got it from an email that was sent to me. So, is it possible that many computers within this organisation have the same mailservers IP?

ED E · 05-12-2009 6:01pm

HE DID! *Sigh

Neo7 wrote: »

I am being abused by a person and i know the IP of their computer. This case is with the police and the police told me this is not enough proof for them because many computers within the organisation this person is sending me the emails from may have the same IP address. Is this correct?

EDIT: You realised.

Webmonkey · 05-12-2009 6:07pm

Neo7 wrote: »

I am being abused by a person and i know the IP of their computer. This case is with the police and the police told me this is not enough proof for them because many computers within the organisation this person is sending me the emails from may have the same IP address. Is this correct?

Yes this is possible. In the organisation, they have their own internal private network (Usually). Once they go out to the outside world from the organisation, they generally may have only a few public IPs at the WAN interfaces and all computers internal will be routed in and out via overloaded NAT over the same public IP.

FSL · 06-12-2009 9:28pm

Neo7 wrote: »

I am being abused by a person and i know the IP of their computer. This case is with the police and the police told me this is not enough proof for them because many computers within the organisation this person is sending me the emails from may have the same IP address. Is this correct?

That is completely irrelevant. If the police know the organisation then the organisation should have logs which can trace the emails to an individual or a specific machine.

If the police don't want to know then consider taking civil action against the organisation.

Most organisations take abuse very seriously and anyone within the organisation using the organisation's system to send abusive emails would very quickly find themselves no longer a member.

Orion · 07-12-2009 12:02am

Neo7 wrote: »

I am being abused by a person and i know the IP of their computer. This case is with the police and the police told me this is not enough proof for them because many computers within the organisation this person is sending me the emails from may have the same IP address. Is this correct?

It is correct ... to an extent. In the internal network every PC has a unique IP address. - most likely 10.118.x.x or 192.168.x.x. However, the organisation (college/company) will only have a limited set of external IP addresses for use on the internet. So for that they use NAT (Network Address Translation). So while your local address may be 10.118.42.42 the address seen on the internet could be anything at all. And another PC could be seen as having the same address ... but not at the same time.

Now the "to an extent" part. The local admins can and are able to trace any activity from a particular NAT address at a specific time to a user account. That should be enough for the guards. For example - if you received a mail at 1:31 with an specific external IP address the server logs would be able to show what user account was using that address at that time. It will take a court order to get that information but it is there.

MunsterCycling · 07-12-2009 12:04pm

As has been posted, if the Gardai... Hold on is this even taking place in Ireland as you referred to them as Police?

OK back on track, if the Gardai have the IP of the organisation and won't go further then you have to ask why, is it just laziness (like the Garda Traffic Corps car on the N25 yesterday evening using the blue lights to get back to the station quicker while not on a call) or is it because they see nothing to answer. If you are not happy, ask to see the district Superintendent and put this to them, giving names and rank of the officers involved, bring the mails with you to show them.

MC

Neo7 · 07-12-2009 7:09pm

Thanks very much to everyone. I got so much usefull information here.
Yes, this is all hapening in Ireland, I know the organisation, I know the name and personal details of the person abusing me. I gave all that information to the Garda. They do not even consider questioning this person, I suppose because the organisation is very well respected and maybe they are afraid of something. It has been more than year now and I am really desperate to get help.
Are you saying that I can start a civil action against this organisation without the garda? just on my own? I thought Garda has to bring this case to Court.
Also, I see that I can complain about the Garda's lazyness, I did not know who I can turn to.
many thanks for your help again.

Overheal · 07-12-2009 8:07pm

Neo7 wrote: »

Thanks very much to everyone. I got so much usefull information here.
Yes, this is all hapening in Ireland, I know the organisation, I know the name and personal details of the person abusing me. I gave all that information to the Garda. They do not even consider questioning this person, I suppose because the organisation is very well respected and maybe they are afraid of something. It has been more than year now and I am really desperate to get help.
Are you saying that I can start a civil action against this organisation without the garda? just on my own? I thought Garda has to bring this case to Court.
Also, I see that I can complain about the Garda's lazyness, I did not know who I can turn to.
many thanks for your help again.

Its called a lawsuit and 9 times out of 10 it never has to involve a police officer.

Speak to a solicitor.

Orion · 07-12-2009 11:55pm

Neo7 wrote: »

They do not even consider questioning this person, I suppose because the organisation is very well respected and maybe they are afraid of something. It has been more than year now and I am really desperate to get help.
Are you saying that I can start a civil action against this organisation without the garda? just on my own? I thought Garda has to bring this case to Court.
Also, I see that I can complain about the Garda's lazyness, I did not know who I can turn to.
many thanks for your help again.

Bollox to them being afraid. Have you actually made an official complaint to the police? (take that MunsterCycling - I said police too and I'm Irish born and bred - the terms are interchangable). Until you do they'll do nothing - they can't. When you do make it official they will have to do at least investigate. And now you know that the guard you spoke to is wrong. Let's face it - he probably isn't technical. But when an official complaint is made they will pass it to their technical bureau who will know how to get the necessary details to identify the culprit. But to be honest it could take a long time - they're short staffed and there's an overtime ban. Unless there's a real risk of personal injury it won't be prioritised.

A civil lawsuit is a different kettle of fish. There's a different onus of proof. But it does not need the guards involvement - it's a private matter. Speak to a solicitor and he/she can help you get an injunction to stop the harassment if necessary or justified (not judging you myself - but you will have to prove harassment) . If that happens and it continues then the company/individual involved could face jail time for contempt of court.

IP address

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