What does an IP really say about you?

[Beann]

Okay so I never really bothered to look into IP addresses and what not. I know the basis of what they do, that's it.

Any way the story is, my friend posted something on a forum anonymously (Meaning that aside from the user, people don't know anything else about her) and it linked to our other friend's website. He is obviously not very happy about the post that linked to his page, but he obviously have no idea who did it. He found out via a back link to these forums, but he claimed via FB:

"I have the IP. I can easily find out who it is. If this continues I will reveal the mysterious one~~~"

Now my question is, is that even POSSIBLE? For example, me merely posting a link on this forum can allow the owner of the website (say a personal blog) to find out my real IP? I mean, everything goes through the server of the forums does it not, so how does he find out from just a directing link, who that anonymous user is? (He is not an admin from the forums btw)

My friend and I think he is bluffing and that he has no clue. Him and his gf are both claiming that from that IP they can find an address, a phone number, and an email attached to that IP.

This is parts of the convo in which she claims her bf has the IP.
"my bf got the IP just have to process it around and check who it is
hes a hacker hes done it before
give him an email addy or first name nd location hell find ur addy, phone number, and everythin uve posted online
yea theres a way somehow thru coding i think"

The conversation then went on about how her bf is a hacker and that they can easily also hack their passwords and send them porno subscriptions via mail. LOL. She is talking like she can eff someone's life up, so I want to ask people who are more experienced to tell me if this whole story is a bluff or not.

[Mod]

Truth and lies in his statements.

Yes, he can find out the last webpage a visitor came from (to his website), and webpages his vistors leave to (a referrer), as well as log the IP of the user.
Other than that info, he's lying his cocky bitch teeth.

There are some forums and websites that have anonymizers (a proxy link between links), but most don't (I don't think cK does either).

It's not possible to find any info off an IP unless he hacks a forum's DB, or is suave enough to hack the ISP's servers (which is a serious crime). If he could hack a forum DB, then he could probably draw your email and any personal info you truthfully registered with. But that's a rarity.

I'd say his best method would be to Google some smidgen of info he's got (like an email, name, etc.), then try to creep with that.

An IP does very little, all it does is tell them your city/country and ISP itself. It is not bound to you in any way (other than what the ISP knows) and is tangible as changing shoes. You can always request or reset your IP with a call to your ISP, instantly.

Don't think too much of it is what I'm saying. Or call that guy a t00l.

[wrath]

Truth and lies in his statements.

Yes, he can find out the last webpage a visitor came from (to his website), and webpages his vistors leave to (a referrer), as well as log the IP of the user.
Other than that info, he's lying his cocky bitch teeth.

There are some forums and websites that have anonymizers (a proxy link between links), but most don't (I don't think cK does either).

It's not possible to find any info off an IP unless he hacks a forum's DB, or is suave enough to hack the ISP's servers (which is a serious crime). If he could hack a forum DB, then he could probably draw your email and any personal info you truthfully registered with. But that's a rarity.

I'd say his best method would be to Google some smidgen of info he's got (like an email, name, etc.), then try to creep with that.

An IP does very little, all it does is tell them your city/country and ISP itself. It is not bound to you in any way (other than what the ISP knows) and is tangible as changing shoes. You can always request or reset your IP with a call to your ISP, instantly.

Don't think too much of it is what I'm saying. Or call that guy a t00l.

Truer words were never spoken.

[Beann]

Truth and lies in his statements.

Yes, he can find out the last webpage a visitor came from (to his website), and webpages his vistors leave to (a referrer), as well as log the IP of the user.
Other than that info, he's lying his cocky bitch teeth.

There are some forums and websites that have anonymizers (a proxy link between links), but most don't (I don't think cK does either).

It's not possible to find any info off an IP unless he hacks a forum's DB, or is suave enough to hack the ISP's servers (which is a serious crime). If he could hack a forum DB, then he could probably draw your email and any personal info you truthfully registered with. But that's a rarity.

I'd say his best method would be to Google some smidgen of info he's got (like an email, name, etc.), then try to creep with that.

An IP does very little, all it does is tell them your city/country and ISP itself. It is not bound to you in any way (other than what the ISP knows) and is tangible as changing shoes. You can always request or reset your IP with a call to your ISP, instantly.

Don't think too much of it is what I'm saying. Or call that guy a t00l.

Thanks, this is great information. So what about school IPs? Is that traceable? Because when I am on school and try to register an email it automatically brings me to a ".co.uk" hotmail registration and I am no where near that. Not to mention the users on those forums were made on a fake email and such, so it is pretty much a dead end. At least now I can be 100% sure they are lying.

[wrath]

Sounds like some sort of location settings issue. Maybe your school has a third party proxy that assumes a UK location or something. There are indeed ways around the location settings, however.

[Benjamin]

meow. I'm late to the party -- an EXPERIENCED hacker/D0Xer can do much. with it, location, name, parents name, address, price of your house, and it's legal. Unless they blackmail you. Hell, they can "swat" you. (The hacker uses a method of contact in order to tell them there. There are people with guns, explosives, etc. Shit happens. They could also DoS your friend (send packages to her router till it shuts it ass down.

[utahclock]

@(you need an account to see links), Lol at paying to swat someone.... or you can simply be boxed to death.... like someone did to sachi...

[Benjamin]

@(you need an account to see links), Lol at paying to swat someone.... or you can simply be boxed to death.... like someone did to sachi...

it's free.

[Easel]

meow. I'm late to the party -- an EXPERIENCED hacker/D0Xer can do much. with it, location, name, parents name, address, price of your house, and it's legal. Unless they blackmail you. Hell, they can "swat" you. (The hacker uses a method of contact in order to tell them there. There are people with guns, explosives, etc. Shit happens. They could also DoS your friend (send packages to her router till it shuts it ass down.

That's bollocks. You can't do all that based on an IP.

[John]

You can't do all that, but you can do a bit better than city, country. You can get to a pretty rough location in that city. Other than that he's pretty much sunk. But if he has anything else on you it gets pretty easy. So as long as he can't find your email or phone number or name anywhere you're good.