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Posted By: dandmbr Address Mask Issues - Java Clients - 23/03/04 03:30 PM
I am an OP in a channel that is mainly visited by people using a Java client integrated into a web site. I am writing an entry script to identify previous visitors but am stumped because it appears the Java clients change someones address every time they log in. eg. User 1 comes in (get address), they disconnect and they immediately re-connect and the IP portion of their address is different. So, my question is, does anyone know a way around this? Is there any way to query a user that will always return consistent and unique information?

Thanks.
In a word: No.

If the IP is being changed and the username isn't unique for each user then there is no way to track them (unless the Java client has something specifically set up to do so).
Posted By: PastMaster Re: Address Mask Issues - Java Clients - 24/03/04 08:52 AM
It's a little difficult to comment without seeing the address format your particular web client uses, but this might help...

Some web clients create addresses by converting the user's real IP octet into hex, and using the result as the ident (the webchat at IRCnet.org is an example). If, therefore, the user is on a static IP, then in these cases their ident should remain the same whenever they connect. If the user is on dialup or a dynamic IP, then the hex ident will obviously vary according to the IP block - in theory you could set up some clever ident checks to mark whole blocks, but you won't be able to guarantee that this is a particularl individual and not, for example, their next door neighbour on the same ISP.

Other web clients use the user's real IP as the address and insert a standard ident (Tiscali in Italy for access to IRCnet, for instance). In this case, you're looking at masks to match resolved addresses in the usual way, but again you won't be able to nail an individual on a dynamic IP.

Of course, you could just try convincing them all to use a real IRC client like mIRC instead! wink

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