AOL users fail on my tracking script

setcookie() or header()?

[jamie]

all ppc visitors come in on one script where depending on the $_GET['code'] they are redirected to the appropriate page and a tracking cookie is set.

all AOL users fail to get past this tracking script, i.e. their entry page is ppc.php and the exit page is ppc.php (1 page view only).
i posted in the tracking forum [webmasterworld.com...] and was put in the right direction by receptional, but i thought i'd post the code here to see if anyone can spot any errors which might stop AOL users from being redirected.

if (!empty($_GET['ppc']))
{
// get VARS
$ppc_code = $_GET['ppc'];

// set cookie
// length of cookie is from now until 1 November. All cookies expire on 1st November
// name of cookie = ppc
$cookie_life = strtotime('1 November 2004');

@setcookie('ppc', $_GET['ppc'], $cookie_life);
// send compact policy
@header("P3P: CP=\"NOI DSP COR NID ADMa PSAa OUR STP UNI COM NAV\" policyref=\"/w3c/p3p.xml\"");

// redirect
if (in_array($_GET['ppc'], array_keys($arr_codes))){
@header("Location: $domain" . $arr_codes[$_GET['ppc']]);
exit();
}
else // code is not in array so redirect{
@header("Location: $domain/hotels/");
exit();
}
}
else // no code present so simply redirect to hotel page{
@header("Location: $domain/hotels/");
exit();
}

i have an array above this script with the ppc codes and redirect pages.

for information, this code works perfectly with all other users and browsers, it is just AOL users.

mcuh appreciate any suggestions!

thanks

[PCInk]

Have you manually looked at your log file?

AOL is a proxy server and the request for the first page and the second page are not likely to have the same IP address. Log software often does not take account of this, or is it easy for them to do so.

[jamie]

hi pcink,

i use nettracker and the stats from that show me for instance i visitor entering on ppc.php, exiting on ppc.php with only 1 pageview.

do you mean, that when this aol visitor is redirected to the second page, he is given a new IP address and so my log tracker only thinks he has viewed one page before leaving the site (although in actual fact he has simply changed IP address)?

<added>

i have just checked my logs manually and can see that the same AOL user comes in on my tracking script on one IP then is redirected and uses a different IP for the next page - and even for individual files on each page (i.e. different IP to download the style sheet, different .gifs etc)

this clears up a lot of confusion! :-)

thanks