Help - IP Address dispute to settle

On another forum (non IT) I go on, a topic arose about IP addresses. Some guy (who clearly doesnt know a huge amount about IT) reckoned he used a tool to find out users home addresses from their IP address.

Unless I've really missed something, surely this is not possible? The block of IP addresses is registered to the ISP, not an individual user, and even if an ISP gives out fixed addresses, surely still there is no external way to find out who is using that, without going through the ISP (and them agreeing to provide you with data)

This guy seems certain hes done it, I reckon hes not so much a lier as just misinformed - fairly sure the only address he could would be that of an ISP?

If I'm wrong I'm happy to admit it (and perhaps resign if my knowledge is this far wrong!), I'd just like someone to clarify :)

There are various trace programs which will give you a rough geographical location, but without the help of the ISP (and a I'm fairly sure data protection laws would prevent this) I doubt very much he will have anything of use.

Services like GeoIP can get you to within a few miles. But that's about it. Here's the link to the GeoIP demo.

MaxMind - GeoIP for your IP address

Hint: Take the Long/Lat number from the results and stuff it into Google Maps. Chances are you'll end up at your local BT Exchange.

google analytics can pin point down to a city using ip but no further....

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Originally Posted by TwoZeroAlpha

There are various trace programs which will give you a rough geographical location, but without the help of the ISP (and a I'm fairly sure data protection laws would prevent this) I doubt very much he will have anything of use.

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And they'd have to be a very clued-up ISP - mine always have to ask me what IP address I've been allocated when I call tech support. I don't know of any tool that would be able to provide an exact address...probably saw it on CSI or something ;-)

Thanks guys, pretty much what I thought.
A rough location is all I thought you could get (not even that with my home connection - it seems to think I'm up north somewhere!)

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Originally Posted by TonyJF

And they'd have to be a very clued-up ISP - mine always have to ask me what IP address I've been allocated when I call tech support. I don't know of any tool that would be able to provide an exact address...probably saw it on CSI or something ;-)

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First line probably aren't considered important enough to be trusted with it, as it's sensitive data.


@sidewinder: can he tell you your address? Good bull:censored: test ;)

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Originally Posted by Geoff

Services like GeoIP can get you to within a few miles. But that's about it. Here's the link to the GeoIP demo.

MaxMind - GeoIP for your IP address

Hint: Take the Long/Lat number from the results and stuff it into Google Maps. Chances are you'll end up at your local BT Exchange.

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Hmm. Mine came out as Nottm, which is about 40+ miles away. They have much better systems on 'Criminal Minds' :-)

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Originally Posted by powdarrmonkey

@sidewinder: can he tell you your address? Good bull:censored: test ;)

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ha, have asked him now. Will be interesting to see what he comes back with (or if he just makes up an excuse that his magical software isnt working now)

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Originally Posted by TonyJF

Hmm. Mine came out as Nottm, which is about 40+ miles away. They have much better systems on 'Criminal Minds' :-)

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Probably the registered address of your ISP, not neccessarily the exchange. Pipex, by any chance?

How accurate the location is is down to how your ISP is set up. As already mentioned it "should" show your location as the hub/ubr/exchange which supplies you found via tracert if its not blocked.
So the more local exchanges etc there are the more accurate the location but this would be limited to something like 3 to 4 mile radius for ADSL and slightly more for cable ( I think).

Edit - this is based on my VM cable connection for which tells me my UBR etc but this probably will not be the case for all.

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Originally Posted by Geoff

Services like GeoIP can get you to within a few miles. But that's about it. Here's the link to the GeoIP demo.

MaxMind - GeoIP for your IP address

Hint: Take the Long/Lat number from the results and stuff it into Google Maps. Chances are you'll end up at your local BT Exchange.

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120 miles out for me. :D

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Originally Posted by Geoff

Services like GeoIP can get you to within a few miles. But that's about it. Here's the link to the GeoIP demo.

MaxMind - GeoIP for your IP address

Hint: Take the Long/Lat number from the results and stuff it into Google Maps. Chances are you'll end up at your local BT Exchange.

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Mine is close, but in the middle of a field................

About 30km out for me but google maps itself on my phone using my home wifi can pick it to about 1km. It all depends on the database that the provider has as to how accurate it is.

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Originally Posted by TronXP

Mine is close, but in the middle of a field................

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Go dig up that field!