Detecting Alternate Accounts

On my forum, members are only allowed one account. Creating alternates will result in a permanent ban.

Although this may be very simple, is it possible to see if two or more IP addresses of members match, detecting an alternate account?

Thanks.

Can anybody answer my question?

You have to click on the IP button on a post to see the Ip. It will also show you what other members posted from that IP.

Dot Com wrote:You have to click on the IP button on a post to see the Ip. It will also show you what other members posted from that IP.

Then that's an indication that it's an alternate account, correct?

Note the following:
Computers use IP addresses to locate and talk to each other on the Internet, much the same way people use phone numbers to locate and talk to one another on the telephone. When you want to visit whatis.com, your computer asks a domain name system (DNS) server (think telephone information operator) for the correct dotted quad number (think phone number) for whatis.com and your computer uses the answer it receives to connect to the whatis.com server.

It would be simple if every computer that connects to the Internet could have its own static IP number, but when the Internet was first conceived, the architects didn't foresee the need for an unlimited number of IP addresses. Consequently, there are not enough IP numbers to go around. To get around that problem, many Internet service providers limit the number of static IP addresses they allocate, and economize on the remaining number of IP addresses they possess by temporarily assigning an IP address to a requesting Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) computer from a pool of IP addresses. The temporary IP address is called a dynamic IP address.

Requesting DHCP computers receive a dynamic IP address (think temporary phone number) for the duration of that Internet session or for some other specified amount of time. Once the user disconnects from the Internet, their dynamic IP address goes back into the IP address pool so it can be assigned to another user. Even if the user reconnects immediately, odds are they will not be assigned the same IP address from the pool. To keep our telephone telephone analogy going, using a dynamic IP address is similar to using a pay phone. Unless there is a reason to receive a call, the user does not care what number he or she is calling from.

Thanks for that piece of information.

But if that's the case, then how can I find out if one person is using two or more accounts?

ChessMaster 8k wrote:Thanks for that piece of information.

But if that's the case, then how can I find out if one person is using two or more accounts?

Well - we know that using an IP address isn't reliable for a ban. We also know a username can be changed at will - so that isn't a reliable method either.

Probably the best way is to use an email ban. True - many people have more than one email account, or can start a new one pretty easy, but you're counting on they may not think of that when they try to register under a new username with the same email.

All this being true, there is really no effective way - short of occasionally going through your member list hoping to spot something or having to wait until someone screws up so you can ban them again - that you can get an absolute method of banning someone. As an admin, you're really at the mercy of idiots who have the time and desire to screw with people for no good reason. An unfortunate fact of life these days.

Go with the email ban and play the odds. Sooner or later they'll get tired of starting a new account and finding out you're smarter than they are, and move on:)

So you're saying I should use the email ban as an effective means of detecting alternate accounts?

Pretty much:)

Saurus wrote:Pretty much:)

Excellent. I'll be sure to follow your instructions.

Thanks again!

Even if IP addresses were unique to a single computer (which we've already established isn't the case), having two accounts coming from the same computer and IP wouldn't necessarily mean an alternate account for the same member. Case in point: myself. My wife and I both use my computer and have our own separate accounts for things, from email to MySpace to Ebay and Paypal. So, in theory, I could join as a member of your board, and a week later my wife could do the same, and it would look like I was using two different accounts when in reality one would be mine and one would be hers.

Computers aren't limited to one single user any more than IPs are.