How does AOL issue their IP address

AOL IP's

[world_falls]

I'm asking this question because somebody is coming into a very small local message board causing trouble. The person is using an AOL IP address, number 198.81.27.7. This is a very small community board, perhaps 12-15 people post there max. One person has been coming in with the above IP making trouble. Another person has come to the board only recently with the same IP as the trouble maker. She claims that she isn't the trouble maker, but they sure behave the same way. The thing is, both of these people ALWAYS posts with the same IP's. Sometimes they even post within minutes of each other with same numbers.

My question is twofold...

1) I understand that AOL uses proxy servers and that their IP's are dynamic. What are the odds that two different people who live in the same small town and post on the same small message board would consistantly get assigned the same numbers?

2) Is it odd, since AOL numbers recycle, that the same numbers keep getting assigned to the same person? Does AOL tend to assign specific numbers to a specific region? To a specific computer? Or is very random thing...meaning, could someone in maryland get the same IP that someone is using in texas?

Thanks a lot for your help!

[Brett_Tabke]

There's a remote chance it could happen. But, the chances that she doesn't know who it is, are slim.

If you know programming - after she logsin, take off the option to login/logout and require cookies for awhile. If it is the same person, they won't be able to switch nicks on you.