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Stryper

4:44 pm on Jun 29, 2004 (gmt 0)

We are writing a php script for a search engine site.
But we are having problems with AOL IPs.
When a person searches for something he is with 1 IP - then the search engine returns the results - he clicks on one of them and he has a new IP.

And the script blocks him

We don't know what to do.
The programmer told me that he will create a script only for AOL users - so the script will not block them but he needs AOL IPS.
I found the AOl official page
[webmaster.info.aol.com...]
But those Ips are not enough.

After I added all of them I have 20 more AOl IPs.
I also saw that Compuserve uses AOL too.
Can you advice us where we can find more AOl IPs?

PCInk

5:16 pm on Jun 29, 2004 (gmt 0)

I couldn't find them all when I want them, but I used the ones on that page you already have.

Also if the USER_AGENT string contains 'AOL', then you can assume that they are on AOL.

py9jmas

5:31 pm on Jun 29, 2004 (gmt 0)

AOL arn't the only people who use proxies etc who might have this problem. The assumption that 1 User = 1 IP (or the inverse 1 IP = 1 User) is false.

PCInk

5:39 pm on Jun 29, 2004 (gmt 0)

You are right that 1 IP = 1 user is false, but it can be used for tracking as a last resort, though not 100% accurate. Better to append ID's to the end of URLs (Search engine problems) or to store a cookie (rejection problems) where possible.

Stryper

5:42 pm on Jun 29, 2004 (gmt 0)

Thank you for the answers - we can check user_agent string. Its a very useful suggestion.
As for the differrent IPs - this is a PPC search engine.
As far as I have read the feeds will not accept the click if the search and click IPs are different.
But what about AOL?

Stryper

5:45 pm on Jun 29, 2004 (gmt 0)

We don't have problems with proxy - as all Ips are checked whether they are true proxy or the ISp is using proxy.
Our problem is that AOL is changing their IPs and the script blocks them

isorg

11:52 am on Jul 5, 2004 (gmt 0)

Think carefully why it matters to know the IP, and then think of a substitute. E.G. the search generates a random unique id string, which is passed back during the click. This would be better than IP, as different computers can share the same connection & IP.

Stryper

PCInk

py9jmas

PCInk

Stryper

Stryper

isorg

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