Googlebot?

216.239.39.x

[Stefan]

I had this show up in the logs a few hours ago 216.239.39.x. The IP is deepbot but it took only one .htm file (not .index), without associated jpgs, didn't indentify itself as googlebot, (I did a rev dns to be sure it really was google), or show where it came from...

It didn't look like a surfer or deepbot. Any ideas on what this was?
(sorry if this should be in spider identication)

[WarmGlow]

It didn't look like a surfer or deepbot. Any ideas on what this was?

Stefan,

Your visitor is most likely using the Google language translation proxy. Look at the HTTP_REFERER string in the log file lines immediately following the first request. These lines will show a different IP which is the visitor's actual REMOTE_HOST.

[Stefan]

Thanks WarmGlow, I've seen those before. This has no referrer string, that's what attracted my attention.

This what I have after the kB, port etc:

HTTP/1.0 Mozilla/4.0+(compatible;+MSIE+5.5;+Windows+98;+T312461;+.NET+CLR+1.0.3705) - -

No sign of how it got to the site. I usually only see those from bookmarks, (I believe). Maybe you're right, but they should have grabbed the jpgs too shouldn't they? It just grabbed the .htm

Probably the wrong forum for this, apologies.

[rfgdxm1]

Someone at Google doing a hand review of your site?

[Stefan]

Should have put it here in the first place... sorry.

That went through my mind rfgdxm1. Partially why I posted.

It's just one of the field notes pages though, buried well down in the site... I'd have thought they'd start at the index. Wonder if GG hasn't totally forgiven me for the organ-grinder remark.

[WarmGlow]

This has no referrer string...

Yes, I know. Please take another look at your log file. Look at the HTTP_REFERER string in the log file lines immediately following the request from the Google host. Do you see an HTTP_REFERER string that begins with something like the following example in any of the subsequent lines?

http://216.239.39.120/translate_c?hl=fr&sl=en&u=http://www.example.com/ ...

If so, your visitor is using the Google language translation proxy.

Thank you . . .

[Stefan]

Nope. Just the one and only entry from 216.239 in the entire log file. Very bizarre.

[ncsuk]

No sign of deepbot here although freshbot has been in today and grabbed about 50% of my pages.

[WarmGlow]

Nope. Just the one and only entry from 216.239 in the entire log file. Very bizarre.

The subsequent log file lines will not display the Google IP in the REMOTE_HOST string. The REMOTE_HOST string will display the IP of the actual visitor. Here again is my original message.

Your visitor is most likely using the Google language translation proxy. Look at the HTTP_REFERER string in the log file lines immediately following the first request. These lines will show a different IP which is the visitor's actual REMOTE_HOST.

I am of course only guessing that your visitor used the Google language translation proxy but your reply indicates that you are looking only for log file lines that have a Google IP in the REMOTE_HOST string. Do you see any lines in your log file that include "translate_c" in the HTTP_REFERER string?

I performed a test for you. I used the Google language translation proxy to access the domain that is in your Webmaster World user profile. Look in your log file for a request from a Google IP at approximately 16:46 GMT today and then look in the subsequent lines for requests from 67.31.164.220.

Thank you . . .

[Stefan]

That was it... sorry to have wasted your time on this. Thanks for figuring it out.

Cheers
Stefan