My hostname is being given to all websites - my hostname/ip address is my account username
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Mark Topic as New
- Mark Topic as Read
- Float this Topic for Current User
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Printer Friendly Page
- Plusnet Community
- :
- Forum
- :
- Help with my Plusnet services
- :
- Fibre Broadband
- :
- My hostname is being given to all websites - my ho...
My hostname is being given to all websites - my hostname/ip address is my account username
19-05-2020 12:58 PM - edited 19-05-2020 1:00 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
I was looking up my IP address and did not realise that my hostname (ip address) is actually my account username, surely this is a privacy and security risk? I always thought I was assigned a random IP/hostname? I get the impression I have been assigned a static IP and therefore my account username is disclosed to all websites I visit, is this normal?
How does plusnet advise new customers that the username they create is shared with all websites and how many new customers use their personal name or personally identifying info in their username? What's the point of plusnet telephone support asking for a username when it is already shared on a public 'no holes barred basis'?
I used https://myhostname.net/ and https://www.whatismyip.net/ and https://whatismyipaddress.com/hostname-ip and they all show my username like
Lookup Hostname: [myusername].plus.com
Lookup IPv4 Address:
Re: My hostname is being given to all websites - my hostname/ip address is my account username
19-05-2020 1:14 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
If you have a static IP then by default the reverse DNS (rDNS) will be set to <username>.plus.com. You can request it is anonomised to <ip address>.plus.com . Its one of the few things you can still request via the ticket system https://www.plus.net/wizard/?p=wizard&page=22987&wizard_id=38 .
Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.
Re: My hostname is being given to all websites - my hostname/ip address is my account username
19-05-2020 1:25 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
I have never requested/ordered a static IP address, as consider that a privacy and security risk. A static IP is only useful if I am running something like my own server. It is not a question of wanting an 'anonymised' hostname, but being assisgned a static IP without me requesting such.
Re: My hostname is being given to all websites - my hostname/ip address is my account username
19-05-2020 2:16 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
I cant see why you would have been allocated a static Ip unless it was requested.
Dynamic IP's use the anonomised format by default.
I'm afraid we need one of the PlusNet staff to investigate what has happened with your account...
Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.
Re: My hostname is being given to all websites - my hostname/ip address is my account username
19-05-2020 4:13 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
{
"ip": "31.125.X.Y",
"hostname": "MYACCOUNTNAME.plus.com",
"city": "Sheffield",
"region": "England",
"country": "GB",
"loc": "53.3830,-1.4659",
"org": "AS6871 British Telecommunications PLC",
"postal": "S1",
"timezone": "Europe/London",
"readme": "https://ipinfo.io/missingauth"
}
Re: My hostname is being given to all websites - my hostname/ip address is my account username
19-05-2020 5:52 PM - edited 19-05-2020 5:58 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
A static IP address, completely defeats all the cookie busting techniques from likes of AdBlockPlus and Ghostery and the moderator/admin of this forum, who normally see user IP/hostname addresses, will be able to associate my engagement with this forum to my account name.
Giving a hostname to your computer and publishing it as you roam from one network to another is the Internet's equivalent of walking around with a name tag affixed to your lapel. This current practice can significantly compromise your privacy, and something should change in order to mitigate these privacy threats."
https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8117
The above quote is about a device/computer with a hostname that is shared across a network/internet, a static IP is far worse as all devices using plusnet broadband with a static IP means all activity is associated to a specific account. It is worrying that plusnet uses a static IP address without consulting me first and it is likely to be a breach of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the associated GDPR. For those that request a static ip/hostname, would be useful for it not to be the same as an account username.
With plusnet broadcasting a customers username 24/7 [me], this also puts at risk the account, as all that is then required is a password. Those with nefarious intent could use knowledge of the broadcasted username to scam and phish plusnet customers and website and email logs can be easily tied to a specific plusnet customer.
Re: My hostname is being given to all websites - my hostname/ip address is my account username
19-05-2020 11:20 PM
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Highlight
- Report to Moderator
I was aware of the need to make a careful choice of username when I created my Plusnet account as the previous ISP had a similar scheme of static host name.
As to whether many other ISPs do much the same I can't comment.
You can disconnect and reconnect your broadband connection (leaving a gap) and see if you get the same IP address back.
You could also consider enabling DNS over HTTPS in your browser or using a browser that uses it by default (see https://www.zdnet.com/article/dns-over-https-will-eventually-roll-out-in-all-major-browsers-despite-... ).
As ever, there are advantages and disadvantages with this approach.
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Mark Topic as New
- Mark Topic as Read
- Float this Topic for Current User
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Printer Friendly Page
- Plusnet Community
- :
- Forum
- :
- Help with my Plusnet services
- :
- Fibre Broadband
- :
- My hostname is being given to all websites - my ho...