Privacy/Security: How to change my IP address daily or weekly on DSL
Aluxe
As an added measure of privacy & security, I like to change my IP address
approximately two or three times a week.
Currently I unplug the DSL router and plug it back in (it doesn't have an
on/off switch). Likewise, I unplug and plug back in my wireless router (why
don't these things have a simple on/off switch?). I turn off my Windows XP
computer. I leave the whole setup in the off state for various periods of
time (depending on what's going on that day). Then I reboot this entire
setup in sequence.
Often, (about three quarters of the time), that clears the old IP address
and gets me a new IP address where I can start fresh.
But, about a quarter of the time, I can't get connected to the Internet
when it all boots back up. I have to fiddle around for fifteen or twenty
minutes until I can get reconnected (killing the software firewall,
powering the dsl modem down, powering the linksys router down, removing the
cat5 cables, waiting 30 seconds, powering back up in sequence, rehooking
the cat5 cables, resetting the linksys router passwords and settings,
re-enabling the software firewall, etc.).
You guys are smarter than I am.
Is there an easier more reliable way to get a new IP address every day?
If there is ... pray tell ...
What is the easiest way to change my DSL IP address periodically?
Ansgar -59cobalt- Wiechers
> Isn't there a much easier way to get a new IP address every day?
How you get assigned an IP address is up to your provider.
> As an added measure of privacy & security, I like to change my IP
> address approximately two or three times a week.
Changing your IP address adds neither to your privacy nor to your
security. Just spare yourself the trouble.
cu
59cobalt
--
"If a software developer ever believes a rootkit is a necessary part of
their architecture they should go back and re-architect their solution."
--Mark Russinovich
Lil' Abner
news:86jz6dn13k6c$.1d9wq7xx...@40tude.net:
The way you're doing it is about the only way it can be done.
--
--- A dyslexic man walks into a bra ---
Walter Roberson
Aluxe <aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Isn't there a much easier way to get a new IP address every day?
>As an added measure of privacy & security, I like to change my IP address
>approximately two or three times a week.
>What is the easiest way to change my DSL IP address periodically?
Dial-up.
Greg Hennessy
>As an added measure of privacy & security, I like to change my IP address
>approximately two or three times a week.
A pointless waste of time and effort, giving you neither privacy or
security.
What the hell do you think you're protecting yourself against ?
--
"He's raising an unholy army of singing dinosaurs!"
Stuart Miller
"Aluxe" <aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:86jz6dn13k6c$.1d9wq7xx3uhdi.dlg@40tude.net...
> Isn't there a much easier way to get a new IP address every day?
>
> As an added measure of privacy & security, I like to change my IP address
> approximately two or three times a week.
>
Being on a different IP address each day (or week) does not, in itself, make
you any more (or any less) secure.
This kind of activity may lead your ISP to suspect that you are either
paranoid or have something illegal to hide.
If an attacker has found you either the damage has already been done, or
your security measures have prevented any damage and will prevent any future
damage from that attacker.
Take a close look at what security benefit you think you will achieve - and
'feeling more secure' does not count as a benefit
The IP address assignment is often a function of your MAC address and the IP
address lease policy of your ISP, and may not respond well to this kind of
manipulation. Also, check your router documentation - there is often a
command to obtain a new lease.
Stuart
Duane Arnold
All of that above with you trying to come-up with a new IP on some kind of
periodic basis with a machine or machines setting behind a Linksys router
is too ridiculous and funny.
>
> What is the easiest way to change my DSL IP address periodically?
You don't pay your bill, you get your service cut-off, you pay the bill,
you get service turned on and you will for sure get a new IP from the ISP.
Other than that, get a dial-up service which will change the IP each time
you dial-up to the ISP.
I suggest you stop turning things such as a modem and router on/off on some
kind of routine basis as it can only lead to equipment failure if you
continue it.
You don't have anything running on your set-up that would cause someone to
lock in on the IP and try to come past the router. Your set-up is below
small potatoes, the potatoes don't exist and no one cares. ;-)
Duane :)
Aluxe
> In comp.security.firewalls Aluxe <aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Isn't there a much easier way to get a new IP address every day?
>
> How you get assigned an IP address is up to your provider.
Hi Ansgar,
Thanks for your attempt at help. I appreciate your time.
My IP obviously "lends" me an IP address for a period of time. I can tell
because if I link right back up, I get the "same" IP address. But if I wait
long enough (say an hour) I get a "different" IP address.
All I'm trying to do is get a different IP address in an easier (read
software) way.
Aluxe
>> What is the easiest way to change my DSL IP address periodically?
>
> The way you're doing it is about the only way it can be done.
Hi Lil' Abner,
Thank you for taking the time to try to advise a fellow computer user.
I was hoping that there was a simple software way to lose the lease on the
IP address and then come back an hour later and regain the lease.
I have a few computers on the home network, so I wonder if I go to each and
do an ipconfig /release it would work?
Do you think that will work?
Is there a better software way to give up an IP address for an hour or two
and then ask for a new one from the ISP (no, dialup isn't an answer)?
Aluxe
>>What is the easiest way to change my DSL IP address periodically?
>
> Dial-up.
I do use dial-up on occasion. Netzero can be used when you need to send
those private message you don't want anyone to trace. But dialup is
painfully slow compared to dsl.
Isn't there a software way to give up an IP address overnight and then ask
for a new one in the morning without having to unplug everything?
Aluxe
>>As an added measure of privacy & security, I like to change my IP address
>>approximately two or three times a week.
>
> A pointless waste of time and effort, giving you neither privacy or
> security.
All security is pointless if you think your way.
There are big things you can do to raise security and little things.
Big things are obvious (like locking your car doors or not doing personal
email at work).
But, little security measures add up too.
Each little thing (like rolling up your windows or like driving a different
way to work each day) helps turn off the bad guy who is looking for an easy
steal.
Some of the little things, like changing your MAC address, WPA keys, login,
password, and IP address periodically are well known and often advocated.
Why do you think only big security measures are useful?
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:52:45 -0500, Lil' Abner wrote:
> >> What is the easiest way to change my DSL IP address periodically?
> >
> > The way you're doing it is about the only way it can be done.
>
> Hi Lil' Abner,
> Thank you for taking the time to try to advise a fellow computer user.
> I was hoping that there was a simple software way to lose the lease on the
> IP address and then come back an hour later and regain the lease.
A little script will do this.
>
> I have a few computers on the home network, so I wonder if I go to each
and
> do an ipconfig /release it would work?
You may get the same IP from your ISP
>
> Do you think that will work?
>
> Is there a better software way to give up an IP address for an hour or two
> and then ask for a new one from the ISP (no, dialup isn't an answer)?
The question remains, why do you think it is needed to get a different IP
address.
Dana
There is really no need to do that.
What are you trying to accomplish, we may have a different solution for you.
Aluxe
> First - what do you seek to accomplish by the frequent changes?
Hi Stuart,
Thank you for taking the time to ask a probing question. I understand the
concept of security in that it comprises little things and big things
together.
Adding big things, like turning on a firewall, using strong encryption,
shutting down the computer when not in use, etc. are, of course, additive
to security.
Little things, like changing the password, changing the MAC address,
changing the SSID, changing the IP address, etc., are also additive to
security.
The whole point is to make the bad guys do more work to follow your
footsteps and invade on your privacy.
For example, I seal my snail mail. I lick that horrid tasting envelope and
I shut it down tight. Do I think that will stop a determined snooper. No
way. But I do it as a "little thing" to enhance my security.
Anyone who seals their envelope should understand why I'd want to change my
IP address periodically.
The question is "What is the easiest way to release that lease on the IP
address such that it is easy to regain a new IP address in a few hours'
time?".
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 19:09:21 +0100, Greg Hennessy wrote:
> >>As an added measure of privacy & security, I like to change my IP
address
> >>approximately two or three times a week.
> >
> > A pointless waste of time and effort, giving you neither privacy or
> > security.
>
> All security is pointless if you think your way.
> There are big things you can do to raise security and little things.
Getting a different ip address every couple of hours is not one of them.
A decent firewall is all you need, and zone alarm has a free one for home
use.
If you are more concerned about being annoymous on the internet, check into
proxy connections to the internet.
You can do a google on anonymous browsing or related search and find all
kind of proxy servers.
>
> Big things are obvious (like locking your car doors or not doing personal
> email at work).
>
> But, little security measures add up too.
>
> Each little thing (like rolling up your windows or like driving a
different
> way to work each day) helps turn off the bad guy who is looking for an
easy
> steal.
>
> Some of the little things, like changing your MAC address, WPA keys,
login,
> password, and IP address periodically are well known and often advocated.
I have not seen where people have advocated changing their mac addresses or
ip addresses is a good security practice.
I have seen spammers, mass mailers, and other unsavory characters use those
techniques to try to hide.
Aluxe
>> What is the easiest way to change my DSL IP address periodically?
>
> lock in on the IP and try to come past the router. Your set-up is below
> small potatoes, the potatoes don't exist and no one cares. ;-)
Hi Duane,
Thank you for taking the time to advise me.
All I'm asking is for the easiest software way to change my IP address
without having to give up the lease by shutting down all the equipment.
It's the unsuspecting little old lady who gets hit the hardest.
I used to not lock my car until I got my car seat stolen! Yes. A baby seat
stolen in a mall parking lot! A little thing like locking my doors or
rolling up my windows could have prevented that (and made the car-seat
thief go elsewhere for an easier picking).
I lick and seal my envelopes before mailing them. Do I think that will stop
a determined thief? Nope. But it will stop a lot of them. Why do you think
credit card companies send you the card in a plain envelope and not one
emblazened with the credit company logo on the outside? Little things
enhance security (sometimes more than the big obvious things). Let the
thief go elsewhere.
Same with periodically changing my MAC address, my SSID, my encryption
keys, my login, my password, and my IP address.
There must be an easier way to give up a lease without having to shut down
the router and dsl modem ... isn't there?
David H. Lipman
| On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 18:28:24 GMT, Stuart Miller wrote:
>> First - what do you seek to accomplish by the frequent changes?
|
| Hi Stuart,
|
Please remove alt.privacy.spyware as there is no non-viral malware relation to this
thread.
--
Dave
http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html
http://www.ik-cs.com/got-a-virus.htm
Aluxe
>> All I'm trying to do is get a different IP address in an easier (read
>> software) way.
>
> There is really no need to do that.
> What are you trying to accomplish, we may have a different solution for you.
Hi Dana,
I want to enhance my privacy in a lot of little ways.
For example, do you know who I REALLY am?
My name. My address. My employer. My ISP. My phone. My MAC ID. My SSID. My
IP address. My operating system. My habits. My country of origin. My
newsreader, My spouse. My school. My bank. etc.
Some of these things, you DO know!
For example, you can easily see my ISP and my newsreader and my IP address
... and if you dig a bit further, you can connect to some of the rest of
the things in this list above (and more). Just like a carnivore, tracking
down prey. A whole bunch of little clues lead to the unsuspecting clueless
innocent prey.
I just want to change my tracks by changing my IP address in an easier way
(read software rather than hardware) than shutting down the dsl modem and
router.
Is there an easier way to release an IP address to gain a new one a few
hours later (say overnight)?
Dana
"Dana" <raf...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:12jac8p...@corp.supernews.com...
>
> "Aluxe" <aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:4acmyzeeumco$.14yzpqd7hijla.dlg@40tude.net...
> > On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 19:09:21 +0100, Greg Hennessy wrote:
> > >>As an added measure of privacy & security, I like to change my IP
> address
> > >>approximately two or three times a week.
> > >
> > > A pointless waste of time and effort, giving you neither privacy or
> > > security.
> >
> > All security is pointless if you think your way.
> > There are big things you can do to raise security and little things.
>
> Getting a different ip address every couple of hours is not one of them.
> A decent firewall is all you need, and zone alarm has a free one for home
> use.
> If you are more concerned about being annoymous on the internet, check
into
> proxy connections to the internet.
> You can do a google on anonymous browsing or related search and find all
> kind of proxy servers.
Take a look at these links
http://www.the-cloak.com/anonymous-surfing-home.html
http://proxify.com/
http://www.pcmesh.com/surf-anonymous.htm
http://www.megaproxy.com/
http://www.searchlores.org/anonyweb.htm
http://www.idzap.com/
Aluxe
> A little script will do this.
>> I have a few computers on the home network,
>> so I wonder if I go to each and
>> do an ipconfig /release it would work?
>
> You may get the same IP from your ISP
Hi Dana,
Thank you again for your willingness to help approach a technical problem.
Previously I answered (as best I could) WHY I want to do this small bit of
privacy enhancement (it's similar to the reason there are little walls
between telephones attached to a hotel lobby).
A lot of little things enhance privacy and security; changing ones IP
address periodically is a little change of direction that helps prevent
carnivores from tracking down their innocent sleeping prey.
Back to the technical aspect of the problem ... I found that I need at
least an hour of down time before the ISP will release the lease on the IP
address. That's OK as I generally do it overnight (which always gets me a
new IP address).
So, let's assume that, say, 5 hours of down time always gets me a new IP.
What is a software way to accomplish that task (bearing in mind there is a
dsl modem and linksys router in between the computers and the ISP).
Do you think that writing a script to run an "ipconfig /release" on every
WinXP computer inside the home network would cause the ISP to release the
IP address. Wouldn't the DSL modem or router (which dials back periodically
into the ISP) maintain the connection even without computers on the home
side?
Is there a way to tell the linksys router to only dial in when we want to
(without shutting it down which is what I do today to accomplish the same
task)?
The technical solution must be out there ... does anyone know enough about
home networks to help out?
John Navas
in <16evhz1yifcwd$.ijb6z8uuf2h2$.d...@40tude.net>:
No. Your only real option is to use an "anonymizer" service, but that's
slow, painful, and/or not free.
I'd personally worry much more about tracking cookies than about IP,
which is way down the list of real concerns.
--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>
David H. Lipman
| On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 11:31:28 -0800, Dana wrote:
>> A little script will do this.
>>> I have a few computers on the home network,
>>> so I wonder if I go to each and
>>> do an ipconfig /release it would work?
>>
>> You may get the same IP from your ISP
|
| Hi Dana,
| Thank you again for your willingness to help approach a technical problem.
|
< snip >
I ask you again to remove alt.privacy.spyware from your posts.
All of your subject matter is on COMSEC and alt.computer.security is the ONLY News Group
you need to post to.
Additionally, you set Follow-Ups and fail to honour them yourself.
Dana
Than what you really want to do is connect through a proxy server.
There are quite a few ways to do that, but you will have to pay because you
are using someone elses server.
do a google search on "anonymous web surfing"
From that search you will see quite a few results.
Changing your assigned IP address from your ISP is really not doing anything
for you. Because think about it, you are changing the address of your
computer, you are not changing the address of the device that directly
connects you to the internet, I.E. your cable/DSL modem.
>
> Is there an easier way to release an IP address to gain a new one a few
> hours later (say overnight)?
Yes there is, you can write a script to run the command you have already
posted in this thread.
Greg Hennessy
>Some of the little things, like changing your MAC address,
a.n other utterly pointless measure.
> WPA keys,
See above. Generating a proper wpa key is far more important.
>login,
Causing ridiculous inconvenience. Changing a login does not prevent any
audit trail from being followed. If the TPTB want to figure out WTF you're
upto, a warrant + sniffer at the ISP will do the rest.
>password, and IP address periodically are well known and often advocated.
>
>Why do you think only big security measures are useful?
Changing IP address is categorically *not* a security measure in any way
shape or form.
It is no more a security measure than utilising crapware such as Evidence
Eliminator.
Wasting time and energy changing things which do not need to be changed
will make you less secure in the long run.
What possible threats do you think changing IP address is protecting you
from ?
greg
Dana
> Same with periodically changing my MAC address, my SSID, my encryption
> keys, my login, my password, and my IP address.
While some of the above are good security practices, like password changing
and even SSID. People who change MAC addresses are not doing so for security
reasons, but are changing their MAC addresses to avoid being found (while
yes you can call that security), the point is that it has been found that
mass mailers, spammers, phishers and such are the ones who are hiding by
changing their MAC addresses. But like everything else, they cannot hide
forever and eventually they do get caught.
Aluxe
> If you are more concerned about being annoymous on the internet, check into
> proxy connections to the internet.
Yes. This is the most important concern.
What is a "proxy connection".
I once set a 'proxy server' on a browser but it was horribly slow.
But that was way back in 1995 so maybe things are different now.
Is there a way to send this newsgroup message and have more privacy than I
have now?
For example, you already know (just from this message):
- My ISP
- My MAC (unique)
- My IP address (temporary)
- My Town (you get this from my IP address)
- My Newsreader
- My Operating System
(what else can you tell from this one news post?)
How can I post to the usenet without giving you all that information?
John Navas
in <11ckcvvqmovrj$.1g5ay03lipcg8$.d...@40tude.net>:
>So, let's assume that, say, 5 hours of down time always gets me a new IP.
>What is a software way to accomplish that task (bearing in mind there is a
>dsl modem and linksys router in between the computers and the ISP).
There isn't any.
>Do you think that writing a script to run an "ipconfig /release" on every
>WinXP computer inside the home network would cause the ISP to release the
>IP address.
You'll likely be given the same address.
>Wouldn't the DSL modem or router (which dials back periodically
>into the ISP) maintain the connection even without computers on the home
>side?
Modem no; router yes if PPPoE, no if bridged.
>Is there a way to tell the linksys router to only dial in when we want to
>(without shutting it down which is what I do today to accomplish the same
>task)?
Yes if PPPoE; no otherwise.
>The technical solution must be out there ...
It's not, short of using an anonymizer service.
>does anyone know enough about
>home networks to help out?
Sure.
Aluxe
> All of your subject matter is on COMSEC and alt.computer.security is the ONLY News Group
> you need to post to.
>
I don't know what a COMSEC is but I will look it up.
John Navas
in <9zdxf66b0znf.6...@40tude.net>:
>On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 11:39:13 -0800, Dana wrote:
>> If you are more concerned about being annoymous on the internet, check into
>> proxy connections to the internet.
>
>Yes. This is the most important concern.
>
>What is a "proxy connection".
Consult Wikipedia. That's what it's there for.
>Is there a way to send this newsgroup message and have more privacy than I
>have now?
Sure -- use a news service that allows anonymous postings.
>For example, you already know (just from this message):
>- My ISP
Yes.
>- My MAC (unique)
No.
>- My IP address (temporary)
Yes.
>- My Town (you get this from my IP address)
Not necessarily.
>- My Newsreader
[yawn]
>- My Operating System
[yawn]
>(what else can you tell from this one news post?)
Who are you hiding from? ;)
>How can I post to the usenet without giving you all that information?
See above.
Aluxe
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 19:19:39 GMT, Aluxe <aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote
> in <16evhz1yifcwd$.ijb6z8uuf2h2$.d...@40tude.net>:
>
>>On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 17:56:34 GMT, Walter Roberson wrote:
>>>>What is the easiest way to change my DSL IP address periodically?
>>>
>>> Dial-up.
>>
>>I do use dial-up on occasion. Netzero can be used when you need to send
>>those private message you don't want anyone to trace. But dialup is
>>painfully slow compared to dsl.
>>
>>Isn't there a software way to give up an IP address overnight and then ask
>>for a new one in the morning without having to unplug everything?
>
> No. Your only real option is to use an "anonymizer" service, but that's
> slow, painful, and/or not free.
>
> I'd personally worry much more about tracking cookies than about IP,
> which is way down the list of real concerns.
Thank you John Naves for the advice.
I do already use software that cleans up my cookies, removes and prevents
adware and spyware.
At this point, I just want to reduce the number of things I have to give
you when I post, e.g., you can tell my location from my IP adddress, for
example. And my ISP. And my MAC. And my newsreader. And my operating
system. And other things that I don't even know.
John Navas
<12jadne...@corp.supernews.com>:
>"Aluxe" <aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:1dkuinb40fc1h.a2axsvtjnkc2$.dlg@40tude.net...
>> Same with periodically changing my MAC address, my SSID, my encryption
>> keys, my login, my password, and my IP address.
>
>While some of the above are good security practices, like password changing
Yes.
>and even SSID.
No. Only the wireless security authentication matters.
>People who change MAC addresses are not doing so for security
>reasons, but are changing their MAC addresses to avoid being found (while
>yes you can call that security), the point is that it has been found that
>mass mailers, spammers, phishers and such are the ones who are hiding by
>changing their MAC addresses. But like everything else, they cannot hide
>forever and eventually they do get caught.
Changing the MAC address is totally pointless.
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 11:31:28 -0800, Dana wrote:
> > A little script will do this.
> >> I have a few computers on the home network,
> >> so I wonder if I go to each and
> >> do an ipconfig /release it would work?
> >
> > You may get the same IP from your ISP
>
> Hi Dana,
> Thank you again for your willingness to help approach a technical problem.
>
> Previously I answered (as best I could) WHY I want to do this small bit of
> privacy enhancement (it's similar to the reason there are little walls
> between telephones attached to a hotel lobby).
>
> A lot of little things enhance privacy and security; changing ones IP
> address periodically is a little change of direction that helps prevent
> carnivores from tracking down their innocent sleeping prey.
But a firewall will prevent them from coming in.
And using a proxy server would actually hide you from those you think may be
tracking you.
>
> Back to the technical aspect of the problem ... I found that I need at
> least an hour of down time before the ISP will release the lease on the IP
> address. That's OK as I generally do it overnight (which always gets me a
> new IP address).
Depends on the ISP. You can do an IPCONFIG /ALL and determine what the
renewal rate is for the ISP. The above command will show when you got your
lease and when it expires.
>
> So, let's assume that, say, 5 hours of down time always gets me a new IP.
> What is a software way to accomplish that task (bearing in mind there is a
> dsl modem and linksys router in between the computers and the ISP).
A script or bat file using the command.
>
> Do you think that writing a script to run an "ipconfig /release" on every
> WinXP computer inside the home network would cause the ISP to release the
> IP address. Wouldn't the DSL modem or router (which dials back
periodically
> into the ISP) maintain the connection even without computers on the home
> side?
Depends on how long the ISP holds the lease, and how busy they are.
So if as you say you have seen that it takes around 5 hours to sometimes get
a new lease, it depends on your ISP. Your DSL/Cable modem maintaing the link
does not enter the solution at all, as your computers are being assigned an
IP address.
Now your DSL/Cable modem has an address, and if it is static or dynamic,
that is dependent on the ISP. But even changing your PC address, you cannot
change the DSL modem ip address.
>
> Is there a way to tell the linksys router to only dial in when we want to
> (without shutting it down which is what I do today to accomplish the same
> task)?
I would have to look into that.
Other devices allow schedules to be implemented, you would have to look at
your user guide.
Aluxe
> is protecting you from ?
Why do they have little walls between the phones on the wall at the hotel
lobby?
This is a little way to protect your conversation from prying ears.
Why does my hatchback have a sliding cover over it. Another little way to
protect privacy.
I'm hoping that changing my IP address prevents a casual observer from
taking all my usenet posts and figuring out who I am, where I work, where i
live, who is my spouse, what I do for a living, etc.
Doesn't it make it harder for you to track all my usenet posts?
Can you easily track the last five hundred of my usenet posts otherwise?
John Navas
<warren...@gmail.com> wrote in
<453539a8$0$27089$c3e...@news.astraweb.com>:
>You might want to go through a port scan at
> https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
>(you don't have to buy anything from him; I find his port-scan very
>useful).
Don't trust anything at GRC -- Steve doesn't know what he's doing.
Much better services are readily available.
Aluxe
LOL. Hi Dana,
I'm not a bad guy ... If I were, I wouldn't be posting this using my own
ISP would I?
Here's the test:
a) Can you casually track my last ten posts?
Of course you can. Just look for my login on google.
b) OK. Then, can you easily track my last twenty posts?
Of course you can. Just look for my IP address.
c) The real question is can you track my last fifty posts?
I'm hoping changing my IP address makes this step just a wee bit harder.
Otherwise, why close your window shutters when you're going to bed?
John Navas
<12jaebl...@corp.supernews.com>:
>Now your DSL/Cable modem has an address, and if it is static or dynamic,
>that is dependent on the ISP. But even changing your PC address, you cannot
>change the DSL modem ip address.
With all due respect, that's not at all accurate -- you should read up
on DOCSIS (cable modem) and DMT (ADSL). The only IP seen by the outside
world is the public IP assigned to a computer or NAT router.
John Navas
in <10ttexze4eqnv$.1qiaxnv3...@40tude.net>:
>> What possible threats do you think changing IP address
>> is protecting you from ?
>
>Why do they have little walls between the phones on the wall at the hotel
>lobby?
>
>This is a little way to protect your conversation from prying ears.
>
>Why does my hatchback have a sliding cover over it. Another little way to
>protect privacy.
>
>I'm hoping that changing my IP address prevents a casual observer from
>taking all my usenet posts and figuring out who I am, where I work, where i
>live, who is my spouse, what I do for a living, etc.
>
>Doesn't it make it harder for you to track all my usenet posts?
>Can you easily track the last five hundred of my usenet posts otherwise?
Changing your IP won't have any real bearing on that.
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 11:39:13 -0800, Dana wrote:
> > If you are more concerned about being annoymous on the internet, check
into
> > proxy connections to the internet.
>
> Yes. This is the most important concern.
>
> What is a "proxy connection".
> I once set a 'proxy server' on a browser but it was horribly slow.
> But that was way back in 1995 so maybe things are different now.
Still kind of slow.
>
> Is there a way to send this newsgroup message and have more privacy than I
> have now?
You would have to use a company that offers anonymous newsgroup posting.
And yes they exist
http://www.usenet.com/articles/anonymous_posting.htm
John Navas
in <q3yfghv589x7$.aswlk1e4dgup$.d...@40tude.net>:
It doesn't.
>Otherwise, why close your window shutters when you're going to bed?
To make the room dark.
Duane Arnold
>>> What is the easiest way to change my DSL IP address periodically?
>>
>> You don't have anything running on your set-up that would cause someone
>> to
>> lock in on the IP and try to come past the router. Your set-up is below
>> small potatoes, the potatoes don't exist and no one cares. ;-)
>
> Hi Duane,
> Thank you for taking the time to advise me.
>
> All I'm asking is for the easiest software way to change my IP address
> without having to give up the lease by shutting down all the equipment.
It's worthless.
>
> It's the unsuspecting little old lady who gets hit the hardest.
> I used to not lock my car until I got my car seat stolen! Yes. A baby seat
> stolen in a mall parking lot! A little thing like locking my doors or
> rolling up my windows could have prevented that (and made the car-seat
> thief go elsewhere for an easier picking).
>
You really think so do you.
> I lick and seal my envelopes before mailing them. Do I think that will
> stop
> a determined thief? Nope. But it will stop a lot of them. Why do you think
> credit card companies send you the card in a plain envelope and not one
> emblazened with the credit company logo on the outside? Little things
> enhance security (sometimes more than the big obvious things). Let the
> thief go elsewhere.
>
Not if the machine has been compromised by malware and you don't know it, as
you give up this information.
> Same with periodically changing my MAC address, my SSID, my encryption
> keys, my login, my password, and my IP address.
You can change them but if someone really wanted to come after your set-up
on the wireless side, none of it means anything, particularly about the IP
from the ISP being changed. They have already hacked the wireless on the
router and they would know what the IP is from the ISP. And more and more
people are finding out about the tools used to hack a wireless system. It
don't take a genius to figure it out as more and more users are using
wireless.
>
> There must be an easier way to give up a lease without having to shut down
> the router and dsl modem ... isn't there?
You're setting there with a wireless set-up and you're expecting some kind
of security, then what can I say about it.
How you're going to get attacked is someone with happy fingers clinking on
unknown emails or dubious URL(s) that install things on the machine that
compromise the machine and they have control of the machine. None of this
other stuff you're talking about means anything, nothing, if they have
control of the machine.
They can also do this on the wireless side of the router and attack and
install things on a wired or wireless machine as they are most likely wide
open to attack.
At the very least, if the router has a syslog that you can use Wallwatcher
(free) so you can see what traffic is leaving the router to remote IP(s) for
possible dubious connections, then you should implement it. You shouldn't
sit there and fly blind if you can help it, as you don't even know what
traffic is leaving the network/router.
You should try to implement safehex as much as possible.
http://www.claymania.com/safe-hex.html
You should try to secure/harden the O/S to attack as much as possible.
http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/winxpsecuritychecklist.htm
This thing with you trying to change the IP from the ISP is worthless if the
machine has been compromised. In general, you changing the IP from the ISP
on a routine basis is worthless.
Duane :)
Dana
"John Navas" <spamf...@navasgroup.com> wrote in message
news:avdaj25b5moslju5r...@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 20:02:57 GMT, Aluxe <aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote
> in <9zdxf66b0znf.6...@40tude.net>:
>
> >On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 11:39:13 -0800, Dana wrote:
> >> If you are more concerned about being annoymous on the internet, check
into
> >> proxy connections to the internet.
> >
> >Yes. This is the most important concern.
> >
> >What is a "proxy connection".
>
> Consult Wikipedia. That's what it's there for.
Just use google and do a search.
Dana
> > What possible threats do you think changing IP address
> > is protecting you from ?
>
> Why do they have little walls between the phones on the wall at the hotel
> lobby?
>
> This is a little way to protect your conversation from prying ears.
>
> Why does my hatchback have a sliding cover over it. Another little way to
> protect privacy.
>
> I'm hoping that changing my IP address prevents a casual observer from
> taking all my usenet posts and figuring out who I am, where I work, where
i
> live, who is my spouse, what I do for a living, etc.
OK, so lets say a bad guy gets your ip address, and he runs a whois search
on that ip.
Guess what, the listing of that IP is your ISP, not you, so there is no way
he can identify you to that IP address. Now if the cops came up with a
warrant, they can force the ISP into giving out information that will
identify you, but ISP's will not give out information about your surfing
unless they are forced to by a court order, and some have even fought that.
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:04:09 -0800, "Dana" <raf...@yahoo.com> wrote in
> <12jadne...@corp.supernews.com>:
>
> >"Aluxe" <aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> >news:1dkuinb40fc1h.a2axsvtjnkc2$.dlg@40tude.net...
> >> Same with periodically changing my MAC address, my SSID, my encryption
> >> keys, my login, my password, and my IP address.
> >
> >While some of the above are good security practices, like password
changing
>
> Yes.
>
> >and even SSID.
>
> No
for enhanced security measures changing your SSID will not hurt.
> >People who change MAC addresses are not doing so for security
> >reasons, but are changing their MAC addresses to avoid being found (while
> >yes you can call that security), the point is that it has been found that
> >mass mailers, spammers, phishers and such are the ones who are hiding by
> >changing their MAC addresses. But like everything else, they cannot hide
> >forever and eventually they do get caught.
>
> Changing the MAC address is totally pointless.
While I see where you are coming from, I would not say it is pointless.
There are valid and invalid reasons for wanting to change a MAC address.
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:04:09 -0800, Dana wrote:
>
> > "Aluxe" <aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > news:1dkuinb40fc1h.a2axsvtjnkc2$.dlg@40tude.net...
> >> Same with periodically changing my MAC address, my SSID, my encryption
> >> keys, my login, my password, and my IP address.
> >
> > While some of the above are good security practices, like password
changing
> > and even SSID. People who change MAC addresses are not doing so for
security
> > reasons, but are changing their MAC addresses to avoid being found
(while
> > yes you can call that security), the point is that it has been found
that
> > mass mailers, spammers, phishers and such are the ones who are hiding by
> > changing their MAC addresses. But like everything else, they cannot hide
> > forever and eventually they do get caught.
>
> LOL. Hi Dana,
> I'm not a bad guy ... If I were, I wouldn't be posting this using my own
> ISP would I?
>
> Here's the test:
> a) Can you casually track my last ten posts?
> Of course you can. Just look for my login on google.
>
> b) OK. Then, can you easily track my last twenty posts?
> Of course you can. Just look for my IP address.
people who were assigned that IP address by your ISP.
Remember the ISP is who is identified by that IP address when you run a
whois.
>
> c) The real question is can you track my last fifty posts?
Yep, just type in your name you use to post, or the email address you are
using.
> I'm hoping changing my IP address makes this step just a wee bit harder.
It will not.
If you want to post anonymously, you have to use a remailer type of service.
They strip your headers, and replace them with theirs.
>
> Otherwise, why close your window shutters when you're going to bed?
I leave mine open. But I do not have any visible neighbors
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:14:56 -0800, "Dana" <raf...@yahoo.com> wrote in
> <12jaebl...@corp.supernews.com>:
>
> >Now your DSL/Cable modem has an address, and if it is static or dynamic,
> >that is dependent on the ISP. But even changing your PC address, you
cannot
> >change the DSL modem ip address.
>
> With all due respect, that's not at all accurate -- you should read up
> on DOCSIS (cable modem) and DMT (ADSL). The only IP seen by the outside
> world is the public IP assigned to a computer or NAT router.
And again John jumps in with both feet in his mouth.
And that IP address when ran by a whois will state it belongs to the ISP in
question, not to the person who has been assigned that IP by the ISP.
And the cable modems and DSL modems do have an address, it may be a layer
two only address, or if a router is built into the device they can have a
layer 3 address. My cable modem has a mac address that the cable company
uses. So again John, you have displayed that you really are not that well
informed.
Dana
Communication security.
Crypto and all that fancy stuff.
Very interesting stuff by the way, especially in the signal intelligence
side of the house.
If you are paranoid about your ISP address, you do not want to know what can
be done by signals intelligence, and other forms of electronic warfare and
electroncic countermeasures.
John Navas
<12jah1r...@corp.supernews.com>:
>"John Navas" <spamf...@navasgroup.com> wrote in message
>news:geeaj2tmgunfju34q...@4ax.com...
>> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:14:56 -0800, "Dana" <raf...@yahoo.com> wrote in
>> <12jaebl...@corp.supernews.com>:
>>
>> >Now your DSL/Cable modem has an address, and if it is static or dynamic,
>> >that is dependent on the ISP. But even changing your PC address, you
>cannot
>> >change the DSL modem ip address.
>>
>> With all due respect, that's not at all accurate -- you should read up
>> on DOCSIS (cable modem) and DMT (ADSL). The only IP seen by the outside
>> world is the public IP assigned to a computer or NAT router.
>
>And again John jumps in with both feet in his mouth.
>And that IP address when ran by a whois will state it belongs to the ISP in
>question, not to the person who has been assigned that IP by the ISP.
>And the cable modems and DSL modems do have an address, it may be a layer
>two only address,
You said "ip address". No other address is visible to the outside world.
>or if a router is built into the device they can have a
>layer 3 address. My cable modem has a mac address that the cable company
>uses.
You said "ip address". No other address is visible to the outside world.
>So again John, you have displayed that you really are not that well
>informed.
Scramble noted and apology accepted.
Volker Birk
> As an added measure of privacy & security, I like to change my IP address
> approximately two or three times a week.
This will not give you privacy or more security at all.
Better consider using Tor network.
Yours,
VB.
--
"Ich lache nie."
Besim Karadeniz in d.c.s.m.
John Navas
<12jaf2f...@corp.supernews.com>:
>"John Navas" <spamf...@navasgroup.com> wrote in message
>news:avdaj25b5moslju5r...@4ax.com...
>> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 20:02:57 GMT, Aluxe <aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote
>> in <9zdxf66b0znf.6...@40tude.net>:
>> >What is a "proxy connection".
>>
>> Consult Wikipedia. That's what it's there for.
>
>Just use google and do a search.
For some things, yes, but in cases like this Google search is much less
efficient than going to a reference like Wikipedia.
John Navas
<12jaffd...@corp.supernews.com>:
>"John Navas" <spamf...@navasgroup.com> wrote in message
>news:l5eaj2d7asc89km99...@4ax.com...
>> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:04:09 -0800, "Dana" <raf...@yahoo.com> wrote in
>> <12jadne...@corp.supernews.com>:
>> >and even SSID.
>>
>> No
>
>for enhanced security measures changing your SSID will not hurt.
It won't actually help at all. Anyone with even minor clue can get the
MAC address or otherwise identify it.
>> >People who change MAC addresses are not doing so for security
>> >reasons, but are changing their MAC addresses to avoid being found (while
>> >yes you can call that security), the point is that it has been found that
>> >mass mailers, spammers, phishers and such are the ones who are hiding by
>> >changing their MAC addresses. But like everything else, they cannot hide
>> >forever and eventually they do get caught.
>>
>> Changing the MAC address is totally pointless.
>
>While I see where you are coming from, I would not say it is pointless.
>There are valid and invalid reasons for wanting to change a MAC address.
Sure. But security isn't one of them.
David H. Lipman
Make him even MORE pranoid. Tell him about Tempest Monitoring :-)
--
Dave
http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html
http://www.ik-cs.com/got-a-virus.htm
Greg Hennessy
wrote:
>>Isn't there a software way to give up an IP address overnight and then ask
>>for a new one in the morning without having to unplug everything?
>
>No. Your only real option is to use an "anonymizer" service, but that's
>slow, painful, and/or not free.
>
And not particularly effective either
http://isc.sans.org/diary.php?storyid=1794&rss
greg
--
"He's raising an unholy army of singing dinosaurs!"
Greg Hennessy
>> What possible threats do you think changing IP address
>> is protecting you from ?
>
>Why do they have little walls between the phones on the wall at the hotel
>lobby?
I suggest figuring out how the basic tcp/ip networking works before you
really do shoot yourself in both feet.
Greg Hennessy
>Aluxe <aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> As an added measure of privacy & security, I like to change my IP address
>> approximately two or three times a week.
>
>This will not give you privacy or more security at all.
>
>Better consider using Tor network.
>
Yeah that'll work....
http://isc.sans.org/diary.php?storyid=1794&rss
greg
Dana
"David H. Lipman" <DLipman~nospam~@Verizon.Net> wrote in message
news:%RbZg.3467$4T6.993@trnddc02...
> From: "Dana" <raf...@yahoo.com>
>
> |
> | "Aluxe" <aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> | news:1g5u1r8q8ztgp$.1a9ngqoflqnt2.dlg@40tude.net...
> >> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 19:58:19 GMT, David H. Lipman wrote:
> >>> All of your subject matter is on COMSEC and alt.computer.security is
> | the ONLY News Group
> >>> you need to post to.
> >>>
> >> Hi David,
> >> I don't know what a COMSEC is but I will look it up.
> |
> | Communication security.
> | Crypto and all that fancy stuff.
> | Very interesting stuff by the way, especially in the signal intelligence
> | side of the house.
> | If you are paranoid about your ISP address, you do not want to know what
can
> | be done by signals intelligence, and other forms of electronic warfare
and
> | electroncic countermeasures.
> |
>
> Make him even MORE pranoid. Tell him about Tempest Monitoring :-)
Now he is going to shield his house with lead.
Dana
"Greg Hennessy" <m...@privacy.org> wrote in message
news:k7iaj2tsfa1oanql5...@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 19:57:03 GMT, John Navas <spamf...@navasgroup.com>
> wrote:
>
>
> >>Isn't there a software way to give up an IP address overnight and then
ask
> >>for a new one in the morning without having to unplug everything?
> >
> >No. Your only real option is to use an "anonymizer" service, but that's
> >slow, painful, and/or not free.
> >
>
> And not particularly effective either
>
>
> http://isc.sans.org/diary.php?storyid=1794&rss
Thanks for the link. Very interesting read.
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:33:59 -0800, "Dana" <raf...@yahoo.com> wrote in
> <12jaffd...@corp.supernews.com>:
>
> >"John Navas" <spamf...@navasgroup.com> wrote in message
> >news:l5eaj2d7asc89km99...@4ax.com...
> >> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:04:09 -0800, "Dana" <raf...@yahoo.com> wrote in
> >> <12jadne...@corp.supernews.com>:
>
> >> >and even SSID.
> >>
> >> No
> >
> >for enhanced security measures changing your SSID will not hurt.
>
> >> >reasons, but are changing their MAC addresses to avoid being found
(while
> >> >yes you can call that security), the point is that it has been found
that
> >> >mass mailers, spammers, phishers and such are the ones who are hiding
by
> >> >changing their MAC addresses. But like everything else, they cannot
hide
> >> >forever and eventually they do get caught.
> >>
> >> Changing the MAC address is totally pointless.
> >
> >While I see where you are coming from, I would not say it is pointless.
> >There are valid and invalid reasons for wanting to change a MAC address.
>
> Sure. But security isn't one of them.
Never said it was.
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:27:05 -0800, "Dana" <raf...@yahoo.com> wrote in
> <12jaf2f...@corp.supernews.com>:
>
> >"John Navas" <spamf...@navasgroup.com> wrote in message
> >news:avdaj25b5moslju5r...@4ax.com...
> >> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 20:02:57 GMT, Aluxe <aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote
> >> in <9zdxf66b0znf.6...@40tude.net>:
>
> >> >What is a "proxy connection".
> >>
> >> Consult Wikipedia. That's what it's there for.
> >
> >Just use google and do a search.
>
> For some things, yes, but in cases like this Google search is much less
> efficient than going to a reference like Wikipedia.
People need to be aware that Wikipedia is not a real reference, and that the
material there is not checked for accuracy.
Mark McIntyre
<aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>All I'm trying to do is get a different IP address in an easier (read
>software) way.
Sure, but the question is, why? What good does it do you?
--
Mark McIntyre
Mark McIntyre
<raf...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> I have a few computers on the home network, so I wonder if I go to each
>and
>> do an ipconfig /release it would work?
Nope, the IP of your router is the one you need to refresh.
--
Mark McIntyre
Mark McIntyre
<aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>At this point, I just want to reduce the number of things I have to give
>you when I post, e.g., you can tell my location from my IP adddress, for
>example. And my ISP. And my MAC. And my newsreader. And my operating
>system. And other things that I don't even know.
FCOL this is pointless stuff to worry about.
If you phone someone up, they know which town you're in, and your IP
will do no better for them. You can tell from mine I'm in Oxford. But
where? There's 100,000 people here. And who cares about your ISP or
newsreader?
And nobody can tell your MAC by the way. Except your ISP, who needs to
know.
--
Mark McIntyre
Mark McIntyre
<aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>But, little security measures add up too.
Sure but this isn't a security measure.
>Some of the little things, like changing your MAC address,
Eh? This is NOT a security feature at all. You've been reading the
wrong books.
#
>WPA keys, login, password,
Yes
> and IP address periodically are well known and often advocated.
Again, no. Whoever said this is clueless.
--
Mark McIntyre
Mark McIntyre
<aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> What possible threats do you think changing IP address
>> is protecting you from ?
>
(snip examples of real actual privacy measures).
>I'm hoping that changing my IP address prevents a casual observer from
>taking all my usenet posts and figuring out who I am, where I work, where i
>live, who is my spouse, what I do for a living, etc.
They can't figure any of that out from an IP, no matter how hard they
try. The best someone can do from your IP is work out which town
you're posting from. Unless you're the only guy in town with a net
connection, thats useless to them.
Stop chasing chimeras and please read some proper literature about
this stuff.
>Doesn't it make it harder for you to track all my usenet posts?
Nope.
>Can you easily track the last five hundred of my usenet posts otherwise?
I'm beginning to wonder if your'e paranoid. Who the heck would want to
do this? And bear in mind that anyone that obsessive isn't going to be
stopped by trivia like your IP.
--
Mark McIntyre
Mark McIntyre
<aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>For example, do you know who I REALLY am?
Nope.
>My name. My address. My employer.
Can't work any of that out from IP address or any other public info,
unless you delivberately publish it.
>My ISP.
Prodigy apparently. So you're one of how many tens of thousands of
customers? Hardly earth shattering revelation.
>My phone. My MAC ID. My SSID.
Can't work out any of that either, unless you deliberately post it.
>My IP address. My operating system.
Yes (guess: 69.110.12.220, Windows) but what concievable use is that?
>My habits. My country of origin.
Nope.
>My newsreader,
40tude. So what?
>My spouse. My school. My bank. etc.
Nope.
>Some of these things, you DO know!
So what? I know you're a computer illiterate too (no offense, you
really are) but its not useful info for anything at all.
>For example, you can easily see my ISP and my newsreader and my IP address
>... and if you dig a bit further, you can connect to some of the rest of
>the things in this list above (and more).
You have absolutely no clue at all. From an IP address you can
possibly determine the town someone is in, at most. From the
newsreader you can determine the approximate OS. Thats it. End.
Finito. To find out where you live, your real name, your age etc I'd
have to subpoena your ISP.
>Just like a carnivore, tracking
>down prey. A whole bunch of little clues lead to the unsuspecting clueless
>innocent prey.
Total paranoia. See a doctor. Seriously.
--
Mark McIntyre
Mark McIntyre
<aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Here's the test:
>a) Can you casually track my last ten posts?
The question is, why do you care? There are two possible answers:
1) you're clinically paranoid
2) you have a guilty concience
I can't currently think of a third.
>c) The real question is can you track my last fifty posts?
>I'm hoping changing my IP address makes this step just a wee bit harder.
Not really. Anyone who REALLY wanted to track you would monitor posts
for your characteristic posting style, and would catch you very
quickly.
>Otherwise, why close your window shutters when you're going to bed?
I don't. I'm not paranoid.
--
Mark McIntyre
Aluxe
>>Some of these things, you DO know!
>
> So what? I know you're a computer illiterate too (no offense, you
> really are) but its not useful info for anything at all.
Hi Mark McIntyre,
Yes. I am. That's why I'm asking for this kind of help.
Pretty much I've learned a lot from all of you.
For example, that TEMPEST stuff is real scary.
I'm ready to shroud my computer in a wire mesh now!
:)
Aluxe
I'm trying to gain 'free' anonimity.
That's all.
It's not the end all to privacy.
It's just an ounce more of privacy.
Just like we do when we lick and seal an envelope.
Or when we close the curtain at the voting booth.
Or when we close the bathroom door.
It's not that we are all criminals for doing these things.
And it's not that we 'expect' someone to be peeking in on us.
It's just normal to expect an ounce of privacy even on the Internet.
That's all I want to achieve.
Aluxe
> If you are paranoid about your ISP address, you do not want to know what can
> be done by signals intelligence, and other forms of electronic warfare and
> electroncic countermeasures.
Yes. Indeed. I read that stuff about driving around sniffing everyone's WEP
security out. Apparently it's trivial for my neighbor to read all my
communications. Sigh.
Aluxe
> Make him even MORE pranoid. Tell him about Tempest Monitoring :-)
Oh my.
Apparently, unless I drape a wire mesh over my computer monitor, anyone can
read what I am typing from 300 yards away with just 100 dollars of common
equipment!
Aluxe
>> Make him even MORE pranoid. Tell him about Tempest Monitoring :-)
>
> Now he is going to shield his house with lead.
Wouldn't a simple wire-mesh screen suffice?
Luckily, most of the radiation eminates from monitors (according to what I
just read), and not from portable PC screens without any wires attached to
act as antennae.
Seems to me we could create a light conductive cloth (carbon fiber?) which
we could drape over the screen to prevent these tell tale emissions.
I'm going outside now to check the trucks parked on the street to see if
any have an antenna ... :)
Aluxe
>>> do an ipconfig /release it would work?
>
> Nope, the IP of your router is the one you need to refresh.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the advice that the ROUTER is the IP I need to refresh.
That must be why I have to unplug the router and plug it back in after
leaving the dsl modem off for a few hours. The ppoe (or whatever it's
called) must kick in when I plug it in.
I wonder if we can kick off the ppoe (or whatever it is) login to the ISP
from the winXP PC?
Aluxe
>> At this point, I just want to reduce the number of things I have to give
>> you when I post, e.g., you can tell my location from my IP adddress, for
>> example. And my ISP. And my MAC. And my newsreader. And my operating
>> system. And other things that I don't even know.
>
Hi Warren Oates,
I guess I was wrong.
I was told by a friend that even when I use NetZero, they can track all my
communications by my MAC address. Is that true?
If so, changing the MAC address would add a level of privacy (just like
closing the bathroom door adds a level of privacy).
It's not that we expect everyone to duck their head under the IP packet to
look at us, but, we still close the door so as to have a modicum of
privacy.
Aluxe
> If you phone someone up, they know which town you're in,
Hi Mark,
I agree if you phone someone they can get your telephone number and do a
reverse lookup on the Internet to find not only where they live, but the
price of their house and that of their neighbors (I've done it at times
myself to see who called me).
However, you don't phone ten thousand people at a time (which is what we
are doing here on the Internet).
Having one person be able to identify you vs having ten thousand be able to
identify you lets in a lot of kooks, don't you think?
Aluxe
> http://isc.sans.org/diary.php?storyid=1794&rss
Hi Greg,
I read the reference article but I must agree with Mark that I am nearly
clueless.
For example, this key sentence was supposed to make sense but it didn't/
For example, the article stated:
" ... it replicated data which was apparently being submitted to the host
via an HTTP cookie so it seemed that the idea was to have the cookie travel
to the unwitting Tor user and be sent back via DNS tunnel to an external
host to confirm the real identity of the host. "
Unfortunately, to me, these are too complicated.
Sorry.
Aluxe
> You would have to use a company that offers anonymous newsgroup posting.
> http://www.usenet.com/articles/anonymous_posting.htm
Hi Dana,
Thanks again for providing useful information that works toward a solution
fo the technical problem, which, I didn't realize before, but is really all
about remaining as anonymous as possible, for free, when posting on the
Internet.
The main problem (and I know that's not your fault) is that the access
costs, essentially, $250 dollars a year for the same access that I have
today already paid for.
I think, if the choice is to figure out how to send a wake-up signal to my
linksys router or pay the $250 per year to usenet.com, I'll try to see if I
can figure out (somehow) how to send a wake-up signal to my router without
having to literally unplug it.
If there is a 'free' usenet news service out there ... then that would
solve the problem though.
Aluxe
>>Doesn't it make it harder for you to track all my usenet posts?
>
Hi John,
Again, I thank you for your advice but this one I don't understand.
When I look at the header of my posts I can easily see my router's IP
address in the header ...
If I kept the same IP address for, say, a year, wouldn't ALL my posts in
that year have the same IP address on it?
If anyone wanted to gather up all my posts (no matter what name or
newsreader I used), wouldn't keeping the same IP address make that task
trivial?
Sort of like someone gathering up all my snail mail and reading it if they
felt like it without having to bother opening the letters.
Aluxe
> Now if the cops came up with a
> warrant, they can force the ISP into giving out information
Hi Dana,
Thanks for the warning but I wasn't at all worried about the law.
If they wanted to get to me, they would.
If they wanted to get you, they would.
Nothing you could do would stop them as your ISP knows everything.
It's the same with my car keys. Nothing I do is going to stop the law from
towing my car away even if I lock it up with chains around it.
But, I don't lock my car door to keep the cops away.
I lock my car door to keep some kid in the neighborhood from rifling
through my purse and makeup I keep in the glove compartment.
I'm just trying to gain a modicum of privacy on the internet by switching
my identity and any connecting factors.
Do you know if there is a way to send a wake-up signal to make the Linksys
router send the ppoe (or whatever it is) signal to dial back into an ISP
once I plug the dsl router back in?
Aluxe
> They can't figure any of that out from an IP, no matter how hard they
> try. The best someone can do from your IP is work out which town
> you're posting from.
Hi Mark,
Are you sure about that?
It seems to me that even I could save usenet posts and then save the IP
address and from that, I could find EVERY post you ever posted (assuming
you kept the same IP address the whole time) just by grabbing the header
line that stores your nntp posting host (which in my case, is unique).
If I can do it that easily (and you've already said I am computer
illiterate), I shudder to think how easy it would be for a "bad guy" to do
it for me.
What is wrong with what I said above?
Aluxe
>> Changing the MAC address is totally pointless.
>
> While I see where you are coming from, I would not say it is pointless.
> There are valid and invalid reasons for wanting to change a MAC address.
Hi Dana,
I'll give you a real life, albeit embarrassing, reason for changing a MAC
address.
When I was in high school, a student made a lot of fun of my body. Said I
was a "twiggy" (those old enough out there will know what that means).
Well, recently I was back home, and I saw her, and she looked positively
huge. She must have doubled in weight. I wanted to get her back. So, I
logged into NetZero from a blocked phone line, and I sent her a message
calling her all sorts of names to get her back. I even said I was a
"friend" of hers way back when but I thought she looked like a pig now.
Point is, I figured the only way they could track that email I sent her was
through my MAC address since the IP address would have been registered to
NetZero and the phone number I called from would have been blocked.
Isn't that a case where the MAC address change afforded me some privacy?
Or did I give myself away even then?
Aluxe
>> b) OK. Then, can you easily track my last twenty posts?
>> Of course you can. Just look for my IP address.
> Just using your IP address to track messages would also give me the other
> people who were assigned that IP address by your ISP.
Hi Dana,
I think you are making my point for me (I think).
If I had the lease on an IP address for, say, the past three months, then
you could find all my posts (no matter which pseudonym I chose) for that
three-month period, simply by searching for one line in the nntp header.
If I had the same IP address for, say, six months, then I just doubled that
vulnerable tracking period.
Likewise, if I held the lease only for a day, then you'd only be able to
track my posts for one day.
Arent' you agreeing with me then on the need to change the IP address
periodically for those of us whose ISP lists the IP address of our routers?
Aluxe
> The question is, why do you care? There are two possible answers:
> 1) you're clinically paranoid
> 2) you have a guilty concience
Hi Mark McIntyre,
Wanting privacy doesn't mean you're clinically paranoid. Are you saying
everyone who closes the bathroom door is clinically paranoid? Or that they
have a guilty conscience?
Are you implying that everyone who pulls the voting booth curtain shut has
a guilty conscience (maybe they are a tax evader?).
And, everyone who licks an envelope shut has a guilty conscience?
I like you (and I appreciate your help) ... but I think you are stretching
the situation to say that everyone who desires a modicum of privacy has a
guilty conscience or is paranoid except you.
All I want to do is figure out a way to tell the router to wake up and dial
into the DSL PPOE (or whatever it is) when I give it a command from the
computer.
Dana
"Aluxe" <aluxel...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1fk5sri9s0x95.1...@40tude.net...
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 20:20:54 GMT, John Navas wrote:
> >>Doesn't it make it harder for you to track all my usenet posts?
> >>Can you easily track the last five hundred of my usenet posts otherwise?
> >
> > Changing your IP won't have any real bearing on that.
>
> Hi John,
> Again, I thank you for your advice but this one I don't understand.
>
> When I look at the header of my posts I can easily see my router's IP
> address in the header ...
But if someone was to check on that IP address, they would find it belonged
to your ISP. It would be one of many addresses in a block that your ISP was
assigned.
Unless of course you went out and had your own IP address assigned, which we
know is not the case.
>
> If I kept the same IP address for, say, a year, wouldn't ALL my posts in
> that year have the same IP address on it?
It is your ISP's address. Unless you go out and get a static address from
your ISP, than yes that IP can be associated with you. But if you just use
your cable modem like most everyone else, you are only being assigned an IP
from your ISP, it is your ISP who will be identified with that address.
As a test go ahead and do a whois lookup. If you do not know what that is,
do a google on whois.
Once you get to a whois lookup site, type in the IP address your computer
was given by your ISP.
Do an ipconfig /all at the command prompt.
You will see that whois returns your ISP as being the owner of that IP
address.
Hence all your work of trying to change your IP is doing nothing for your
privacy.
>
> If anyone wanted to gather up all my posts (no matter what name or
> newsreader I used), wouldn't keeping the same IP address make that task
> trivial?
Just using your name in Google group search would show all your posts, would
not even need your address.
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:30:53 -0800, Dana wrote:
> > Now if the cops came up with a
> > warrant, they can force the ISP into giving out information
>
> Hi Dana,
>
> Thanks for the warning but I wasn't at all worried about the law.
> If they wanted to get to me, they would.
> If they wanted to get you, they would.
> Nothing you could do would stop them as your ISP knows everything.
>
> It's the same with my car keys. Nothing I do is going to stop the law from
> towing my car away even if I lock it up with chains around it.
>
> But, I don't lock my car door to keep the cops away.
> I lock my car door to keep some kid in the neighborhood from rifling
> through my purse and makeup I keep in the glove compartment.
>
> I'm just trying to gain a modicum of privacy on the internet by switching
> my identity and any connecting factors.
And the only way to do that is by using a proxy server.
>
> Do you know if there is a way to send a wake-up signal to make the Linksys
> router send the ppoe (or whatever it is) signal to dial back into an ISP
> once I plug the dsl router back in?
This will not protect your privacy one iota
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 23:42:17 +0100, Mark McIntyre wrote:
> > They can't figure any of that out from an IP, no matter how hard they
> > try. The best someone can do from your IP is work out which town
> > you're posting from.
>
> Hi Mark,
> Are you sure about that?
Yes.
As a test run a whois on the ip assigned to your computer right now.
You will find that it is assigned to your ISP and your name will be no where
to be found associated with that IP.
Now if you do a graphical trace route on that IP, it may get you down to
your town and that is about it.
>
> It seems to me that even I could save usenet posts and then save the IP
> address and from that, I could find EVERY post you ever posted
Google search can do that just by typing in the name you post under.
Dana
The person would have never seen your MAC address, unless they got a court
order for your ISP to show it to them.
The only mac address a station will see, is the next station upstream.
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:38:20 -0800, Dana wrote:
> >> b) OK. Then, can you easily track my last twenty posts?
> >> Of course you can. Just look for my IP address.
> > Just using your IP address to track messages would also give me the
other
> > people who were assigned that IP address by your ISP.
>
> Hi Dana,
> I think you are making my point for me (I think).
>
> If I had the lease on an IP address for, say, the past three months, then
> you could find all my posts (no matter which pseudonym I chose) for that
> three-month period, simply by searching for one line in the nntp header.
So you are an abuser of the system, or else you would not have to change
your pseudonym all the time. People who do that is the newsgroups are either
spammers, or people just trying to disrupt the newsroup, or people who keep
getting blocked by their other ISPs from posting to newsgroups.
> Arent' you agreeing with me then on the need to change the IP address
> periodically for those of us whose ISP lists the IP address of our
routers?
No.
Aluxe
>> All I'm asking is for the easiest software way to change my IP address
>> without having to give up the lease by shutting down all the equipment.
>
> It's worthless.
Hi Duane,
I thank you for the suggested URLs which I read with interest.
Please don't feel I am picking on you when I report the following
information.
You happen to list your NNTP posting host, as do I, so you are just easily
tracked, that's all.
YOUR NNTP POSTING HOST: 4.252.215.137
YOUR APPROXIMATE LOCATION: Chicago
YOUR ASSUMED ISP: EarthLink Inc. in Colorado
YOUR ASSUMED NEWSREADER: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2869
YOUR OPERATING SYSTEM: Microsoft Windows XP (based on the above newsreader)
You're a programmer by trade having started in 1971 as an IT employee.
You write insurance applications, among other tasks since 1980.
You've contracted with Maine, and Ohio, Minnesota, and Illinois on taxation
software in the past, mostly on Microsoft platforms as you're not a friend
of Linux.
Your posts: many hundreds each of which supplies a bit of your personality
Aluxe
>> It seems to me that even I could save usenet posts and then save the IP
>> address and from that, I could find EVERY post you ever posted
>
> Google search can do that just by typing in the name you post under.
Not true. I go into my newsreader and change the name for each topic that I
ask (I ask about once a month or so to solve a particularly vexing
problem).
I never use the same name twice. I just randomly pick them.
Just like I pull the curtain shut when I dress in the dressing room, I
enjoy my privacy even when I try on clothes.
The usenet analogy is I change my pseudonym even when I ask a question that
can be seen by ten thousand people for ten years or more. I don't want one
of these questions embarrassing me in the future, for example, with my kids
(I post to more than just the technical groups).
I think you've agreed with me that the IP address is the only other factor
that can easily trace me with a simple search.
Now the technical question really is how to force the router to do a PPOE
dialup on command without having to unplug it and plug it back in. Is this
the right newsgroup to ask that technical question?
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:30:31 -0400, Warren Oates wrote:
> >> At this point, I just want to reduce the number of things I have to
give
> >> you when I post, e.g., you can tell my location from my IP adddress,
for
> >> example. And my ISP. And my MAC. And my newsreader. And my operating
> >> system. And other things that I don't even know.
> >
> > No, we don't get your MAC address.
>
> Hi Warren Oates,
>
> I guess I was wrong.
>
> I was told by a friend that even when I use NetZero, they can track all my
> communications by my MAC address. Is that true?
Yes if that is your ISP. and if you change your computers mac address, they
can track that as well.
And unless there is somekind of court order, ISP's do not track or give out
the surfing patterns of their users.
>
> If so, changing the MAC address would add a level of privacy (just like
> closing the bathroom door adds a level of privacy).
Not really, because the ISP still knows, and if required can be told to give
out that information.
Aluxe
>> Isn't that a case where the MAC address change afforded me some privacy?
>> Or did I give myself away even then?
>
> The person would have never seen your MAC address, unless they got a court
> order for your ISP to show it to them.
> The only mac address a station will see, is the next station upstream.
Hi Dana,
Sorry to keep hammering on this but the question I asked was "didn't
changing the MAC address add a modicum of privacy to my email"?
For example, if she had a packet sniffer or if she got a court order to
track the email, wouldn't the MAC address have been a key component of the
traceback?
And, if it was, wouldn't the bogus MAC address I provided have added an
extra level of privacy to that traceback?
Yes or no is what I'd expect the answer to be.
Aluxe
> So you are an abuser of the system, or else you would not have to change
> your pseudonym all the time.
Hi Dana,
I do appreciate your help ... and this conversation will help many others
... but I must wonder why you instantly assume anyone who wants privacy is
an "abuser of the system".
Am I an abuser of the system because I close the bathroom door?
Am I an abuser of the system because I lick my envelopes shut?
Am I an abuser of the system because I participate in anonymous surveys?
Of course not.
Please don't assume that a sincere desire to remain private is an automatic
conviction for system abuse.
I have posted to many alt.personals groups, for example, and I don't want
my kids to see them. Are you saying that I'm an abuser of the system
because I don't post using my real name? Or that I don't use the same name
for the personal posts vs the technical posts vs the work related posts?
Which of my actions above caused me to be condemned as an abuser of the
system?
All I want to know is how to wake up the PPPOE part of the linksys router
so that it dials back into the DSL ISP with my login and password so that I
don't have to unplug the router to force it to do so.
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 20:49:33 -0800, Dana wrote:
> >> It seems to me that even I could save usenet posts and then save the IP
> >> address and from that, I could find EVERY post you ever posted
> >
> > Google search can do that just by typing in the name you post under.
>
> Not true. I go into my newsreader and change the name for each topic that
I
> ask (I ask about once a month or so to solve a particularly vexing
> problem).
>
> I never use the same name twice. I just randomly pick them.
>
> Just like I pull the curtain shut when I dress in the dressing room, I
> enjoy my privacy even when I try on clothes.
>
> The usenet analogy is I change my pseudonym even when I ask a question
that
> can be seen by ten thousand people for ten years or more. I don't want one
> of these questions embarrassing me in the future, for example, with my
kids
> (I post to more than just the technical groups).
>
> I think you've agreed with me that the IP address is the only other factor
> that can easily trace me with a simple search.
No.
There are other parts of the header that can be used to track you. As it is
IP addresses are the most common item that people change, followed closely
by their email address, and their posting name.
Google groups search function makes it easy to track a poster. And if people
really wanted they can run programs to search for your posts based on your
language style. It would take time, but it can be done.
>
> Now the technical question really is how to force the router to do a PPOE
> dialup on command without having to unplug it and plug it back in. Is this
> the right newsgroup to ask that technical question?
Doing that will not give you the privacy you think it would. It seems you
have other reasons why you may want to hide yourself, kind of like what
spammers, and mass mailers, and other unsavory people try to do.
>
>
Aluxe
>> If so, changing the MAC address would add a level of privacy (just like
>> closing the bathroom door adds a level of privacy).
>
> Not really, because the ISP still knows, and if required can be told to give
> out that information.
Hi Dana,
I must say, I both appreciate your help and I don't understand your
answers.
May I ask again?
TEST: Assume this scenario:
- I change my MAC address to 00-00-00-00-00-00
- I dial into NetZero from a blocked telephone line
- I send a personal note to an old friend that I don't want easily tracked
back to me
- I disconnect from NetZero
- I change my MAC address back to 00-24-43-55-F4-F8
QUESTION:
Did changing the MAC address make it a wee bit harder for the big bad
brother authorities to identify me should they so desire?
This should be a YES or NO kind of answer.
I assume YES based on the fact that nothing in the IP packet header was
true. But, you seem to be saying my original MAC address (which can be
tracked back not only to the manufacturer of the PC but to the owner based
on store records) is also appended to the packet.
Are you saying BOTH the original and the bogus MAC address are appended to
the packets?
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 20:51:59 -0800, Dana wrote:
> >> Isn't that a case where the MAC address change afforded me some
privacy?
> >> Or did I give myself away even then?
> >
> > The person would have never seen your MAC address, unless they got a
court
> > order for your ISP to show it to them.
> > The only mac address a station will see, is the next station upstream.
>
> Hi Dana,
> Sorry to keep hammering on this but the question I asked was "didn't
> changing the MAC address add a modicum of privacy to my email"?
No.
>
> For example, if she had a packet sniffer or if she got a court order to
> track the email, wouldn't the MAC address have been a key component of the
> traceback?
Your ISP will always have whatever MAC address you use, hence if they were
given a court order, they would have to give it up.
>
> And, if it was, wouldn't the bogus MAC address I provided have added an
> extra level of privacy to that traceback?
No, because your isp would know it is associated with your account, hence
they would have to give that info out if there was a court order.
Aluxe
>> I think you've agreed with me that the IP address is the only other factor
>> that can easily trace me with a simple search.
>
> No.
> There are other parts of the header that can be used to track you. As it is
> IP addresses are the most common item that people change, followed closely
> by their email address, and their posting name.
Hi Dana,
Now we're getting somewhere useful!
Your answer is the kind of meat that gets us somewhere (as opposed to
instantly and publically stating anyone who closes their front door, lowers
their window shades at night, and at any time flushes the toilet is a
despicable drug runner trying to hide their nasty drug habit).
WHAT else in my header gives away my privacy other than:
IP address (changed daily), email address (spoofed), posting name (spoofed)
Here are my header lines (which of these give away details about me)?
Path:
Newsgroups:
User-Agent:
MIME-Version:
Content-Type:
Content-Transfer-Encoding:
References:
Message-ID:
Lines: 28
NNTP-Posting-Host:
X-Complaints-To:
X-Trace:
NNTP-Posting-Date:
Organization:
X-UserInfo1:
Xref:
I presume the most important header line is the "X-UserInfo1" line.
It seems to uniquely identify me.
Are you saying that, since the "X-UserInfo1" line uniquely identifies me,
all other attempts at securing a modicum of privacy are for naught?
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 20:55:01 -0800, Dana wrote:
> > So you are an abuser of the system, or else you would not have to change
> > your pseudonym all the time.
>
> Hi Dana,
> I do appreciate your help ... and this conversation will help many others
> ... but I must wonder why you instantly assume anyone who wants privacy is
> an "abuser of the system".
But you do not want privacy, you are trying to circumvent the system.
For all we know is maybe you harass people on the newsgroups, hence filters
were put in place against you, and you are trying to get around them.
> Please don't assume that a sincere desire to remain private is an
automatic
> conviction for system abuse.
It seems you may have different motives for masking your location
>
> I have posted to many alt.personals groups, for example, and I don't want
> my kids to see them. Are you saying that I'm an abuser of the system
> because I don't post using my real name?
Nope. There are many different screen names running around the internet
> Or that I don't use the same name
> for the personal posts vs the technical posts vs the work related posts?
Nope, again that is common practice
>
> Which of my actions above caused me to be condemned as an abuser of the
> system?
Your insistence on trying to hide you Mac address. Since you use DHCP your
IP address is not important. Your Mac address is what identifies your
computer.
While people from the outside, except your ISP cannot see your MAC, the fact
that you want to change it, indicates you may be up to something that forces
you to want to hide. Just like what mass mailers, spammers, and phishers do.
Dana
> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 21:11:41 -0800, Dana wrote:
> >> If so, changing the MAC address would add a level of privacy (just like
> >> closing the bathroom door adds a level of privacy).
> >
> > Not really, because the ISP still knows, and if required can be told to
give
> > out that information.
>
> Hi Dana,
> I must say, I both appreciate your help and I don't understand your
> answers.
>
> May I ask again?
>
> TEST: Assume this scenario:
> - I change my MAC address to 00-00-00-00-00-00
> - I dial into NetZero from a blocked telephone line
> - I send a personal note to an old friend that I don't want easily tracked
> back to me
> - I disconnect from NetZero
> - I change my MAC address back to 00-24-43-55-F4-F8
And your friend has the mac address you changed via a court order.
As the changed mac address still is associated with your account with net
zero.
It would be no different if you used a different computer to log into your
netzero account.
>
> QUESTION:
> Did changing the MAC address make it a wee bit harder for the big bad
> brother authorities to identify me should they so desire?
No, because it is still associated with your account with net zero.