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Identify user by IP or PTR?

Halfhidden
Dabbler
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Registered: ‎20-05-2023

Identify user by IP or PTR?

I already have quite a few website (all personal) and hosted through my homelab. I'm about to create a controversial website that absolutely falls on the right side of the law and does not break any Plusnet rules. But it will probably encourage a few haters.
So the idea of the site is that uses can be anonymous as this will be a victim support group. I'm looking at ways to keep the admins and operators secure from identity and am exploring if any useful information could be gathered from ptr records, ip addresses and such like from the website?
If anyone has any ideas that could help keep the site operator anonymous I would like to here.
I can't explain what the site is about (obviously as it would be out there cached on Google and so on) but rest assured it's a good thing.

10 REPLIES 10
Mav
Moderator
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Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Thread moved from General Chat  to Tech Help.

Forum Moderator and Customer
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear - Mark Twain
He who feared he would not succeed sat still

ghamilton123
Rising Star
Posts: 145
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Registered: ‎28-08-2023

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

You could bind a users IP address to a UUID in a database, but then again if someone uses a VPN and another user gets the IP, that could impose issues, I have seen quite a few apps that do things pretty stupidly, I've once seen a app that returned the whole users database object when getting their profile. 

To also be on the safe side I would recommend setting up cloudflare, and only allow cloudflare ips to access port 80/443
https://www.cloudflare.com/en-gb/ips/




DafOwen
Grafter
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Registered: ‎09-12-2016

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

I have Static IP with Plusnet.
The Reverse Lookup / PTR of my IP address is : <my plusnet username>.plusnet.com
And my username is partially my real name. (I would have chosen something else if I'd known)

So in terms of : "if any useful information could be gathered from ptr records, ip addresses and such like from the website?"

I'd say potentially yes.

MisterW
Superuser
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Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

And my username is partially my real name. (I would have chosen something else if I'd known)

@DafOwen you can request the rDNS be changed on your static IP to anonomize it to <ipaddress>.plus.com

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.

willcutforth
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
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Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

@DafOwen I can sort this for you if you want?

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Will Cutforth
 Plusnet Help Team
DafOwen
Grafter
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Registered: ‎09-12-2016

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

Ah yes please - might as well

willcutforth
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
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Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

Do you want it as a domain or just your static?

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Will Cutforth
 Plusnet Help Team
DafOwen
Grafter
Posts: 30
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Registered: ‎09-12-2016

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

I'll go for a domain so it's easy to remember - but will think of something suitably generic.
Will get back to you on name 👍

MisterW
Superuser
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Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

@DafOwen I think you misunderstand. To assign rdns to a domain, you must already own the domain and have created a forward ( A record ) for that domain to point to your static ip

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.

willcutforth
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 1,718
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Registered: ‎27-11-2020

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

What @MisterW ! Sorry I should have been clearer.

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Will Cutforth
 Plusnet Help Team