IP address question

Kit1

Hi l guess this has been asked many times before so sorry it l am repeating the question.
I don't know to much about IP addresses and how they work so l would like to know if l post something on a forum can l keep my IP address private?  Is it linked to my internet or the internet l used to set up the account?
Not sure if this is the right way to explain my question but hope someone can help.

forgotmyname

Your IP address is like your phone number.  A website will see your phone number when you connect to it.

You can use a VPN but not all websites allow access from VPN users.

Kit1

forgotmyname said:

Your IP address is like your phone number.  A website will see your phone number when you connect to it.

You can use a VPN but not all websites allow access from VPN users.

Thank you.  Hope this isn't a stupid question but can anyone find your IP address and who it belongs to?  I am thinking things like Facebook groups - can the admin person find out everyone's details when they join even if you don't use your name?

400ixl

The site may well have logged your IP address when you first created an account, it could also keep a log of the IP address for every post you make, and even every page request.

Your IP address could well change over time though. If your ISP for example does not use static IP addresses then it may change when you re-boot the router.

You can also hide your IP address through the use of VPN's or proxy servers.

Even changing your IP address it is still possible to link activity to an individual. For example an identifier could be placed in a cookie which is unique to you and allows that device to be associated, even if a different account is used and a VPN used. This is often used on forums to stop people who are banned or spammers signing up again under a different IP on the same device.

There are other ways to fingerprint as well, but unlikely that a forum would be going that deeply.

Realistically to stand a reasonable chance as a minimum you will need to clear all cookies and use a VPN (selecting a different VPN server to normal).

unforeseen

Kit1 said:

forgotmyname said:

Your IP address is like your phone number.  A website will see your phone number when you connect to it.

You can use a VPN but not all websites allow access from VPN users.

Thank you.  Hope this isn't a stupid question but can anyone find your IP address and who it belongs to?  I am thinking things like Facebook groups - can the admin person find out everyone's details when they join even if you don't use your name?

The IP can only provide the ISP who has that range normally. Any further info would need a court order forcing the ISP to release details. An impossibility to obtain unless a serious crime is involved

flaneurs_lobster

Do you not watch Line of Duty? Get down to Asda, burner phone, burner sim, top-up voucher, all paid for with cash. 

Only make one Facebook post per day and never use the same cellular tower twice. 

Easy. 

400ixl

Kit1 said:

forgotmyname said:

Your IP address is like your phone number.  A website will see your phone number when you connect to it.

You can use a VPN but not all websites allow access from VPN users.

Thank you.  Hope this isn't a stupid question but can anyone find your IP address and who it belongs to?  I am thinking things like Facebook groups - can the admin person find out everyone's details when they join even if you don't use your name?

If you really know what you are doing and put some serious effort in then yes you could do enough work to identify someone and where they live from starting with their IP address and some internet history such as forum names.

Would take a real reason to do it and access to that starting information though, so not something that is going to happen without a strong desire to do it, combined with the knowledge of how to do it, and the time to do it. 

Very very unlikely to ever happen.

forgotmyname

flaneurs_lobster said:

Do you not watch Line of Duty? Get down to Asda, burner phone, burner sim, top-up voucher, all paid for with cash. 

Only make one Facebook post per day and never use the same cellular tower twice. 

Easy. 

Except the phone has a unique hardware ID which can also be used to track a user.  Makes you wonder what data google

can pull from your device.  Can they pickup router data that their camera cars scanned on their routes?  I know its possible
to find a better location from google maps and router ID's.

[Deleted User]

flaneurs_lobster said:

Do you not watch Line of Duty? Get down to Asda, burner phone, burner sim, top-up voucher, all paid for with cash. 

Only make one Facebook post per day and never use the same cellular tower twice. 

Easy. 

And when you speak to anyone always use a voice changer like they do in the movies lol

Kit1

400ixl said:

Kit1 said:

forgotmyname said:

Your IP address is like your phone number.  A website will see your phone number when you connect to it.

You can use a VPN but not all websites allow access from VPN users.

Thank you.  Hope this isn't a stupid question but can anyone find your IP address and who it belongs to?  I am thinking things like Facebook groups - can the admin person find out everyone's details when they join even if you don't use your name?

If you really know what you are doing and put some serious effort in then yes you could do enough work to identify someone and where they live from starting with their IP address and some internet history such as forum names.

Would take a real reason to do it and access to that starting information though, so not something that is going to happen without a strong desire to do it, combined with the knowledge of how to do it, and the time to do it. 

Very very unlikely to ever happen.

Unfortunately it has happened.  I joined a local facebook group and made a comment in which l didn't agree with something a friend of the admin had put on so admin made it their aim to find out who l was and try and make trouble for me after just one comment which l why l was asking the question.  The person who runs the group doesn't want anyone else to have an opinion and agree with everything they want and they should run the village and not have a Parish council anymore.  So yes they have the knowledge.  No point setting up another group because their little spies will join and feed information back to them and that would be worse.  

kaMelo

Kit1 said:

400ixl said:

Kit1 said:

forgotmyname said:

Your IP address is like your phone number.  A website will see your phone number when you connect to it.

You can use a VPN but not all websites allow access from VPN users.

Thank you.  Hope this isn't a stupid question but can anyone find your IP address and who it belongs to?  I am thinking things like Facebook groups - can the admin person find out everyone's details when they join even if you don't use your name?

If you really know what you are doing and put some serious effort in then yes you could do enough work to identify someone and where they live from starting with their IP address and some internet history such as forum names.

Would take a real reason to do it and access to that starting information though, so not something that is going to happen without a strong desire to do it, combined with the knowledge of how to do it, and the time to do it. 

Very very unlikely to ever happen.

Unfortunately it has happened.  I joined a local facebook group and made a comment in which l didn't agree with something a friend of the admin had put on so admin made it their aim to find out who l was and try and make trouble for me after just one comment which l why l was asking the question.  The person who runs the group doesn't want anyone else to have an opinion and agree with everything they want and they should run the village and not have a Parish council anymore.  So yes they have the knowledge.  No point setting up another group because their little spies will join and feed information back to them and that would be worse.  

Sounds like a wonderful place, something akin to playschool.
The best they can do is trace your IP back to your ISP. Your ISP will know to whom it handed out the IP address however they don't just hand out your details on a whim because someone asked for them, data protection rules prevent them doing so.
Anyone wanting to force your ISP to hand out your details would need to ask a court to issue a Norwich Pharmacal Order, not guaranteed and not cheap.

Rest easy.