Forum Moderators: phranque
However, with a single dialup account, how big is the block of IP addresses that one dialup account rotates through? Under a hundred distinct IP addresses? Under a thousand?
Is it pretty easy for someone with pattern recognition software to spot a block of IPs from a single dial-up account? Or is the scheme of using a dial-up account a safe one for avoidance of penalties from Google or whatever entity if using something like WPG?
are they "infinite" or are just a handful recycled?
If I am not mistaken, expect google's penalty nothing is infinite :)
It's said that for use of a tool like WPG, use of a dial-up account is best, for the IP addresses are dynamic and therefore, much harder to ban.
Much harder does not mean not possible to detect. And from how I see it, I don't think it would be real hard for them to figure it out that it is you.
Check out following pointers:
1) Do you have a Google ToolBar?
2) (If Yes)Ask yourself which site do you visit often
3) (If Yes)What site/s have you (if any) submitted to Google, and using what IP?
4) Do you know that Google can generally detect your location based on ISP, do you think if they really want to, then it will be hard for them (your business addres on site - if any) (They dont need Google ToolBar to detect where the user is coming from - even your server log can tell you where people are coming to your site from)
5) Do you know you are putting *lot* of unnecessary load on google servers (I was Google, I might think the same)
6) I am positive, that Google must be having tons of more ways to figure it out, but I guess I am not the SEO kind (good? or bad?) :( :)
Also, last 2 points.
1) Google does not specify WPG, so it won't be fair to blame everything on WPG. Use any autometic querry software and enjoy the fruits (like & dislike of the fruits is a different story)
2) Google says in their TOS, not to use such softwares and if you think, you are getting traffic from Google, then ask yourself what you are risking. (Remember,Don't risk what you can't afford to loose)
Hope this helps.
Take WPG and Google out of my question, and what do you think? Are dial-up, dynamic IP addresses of a single dial-up account difficult to attribute to a single machine?
The short answer is yes. Have you ever tried to tie a an AOL IP to a single user? ISP's have a finite set of IPs available to them same as hosting companies have a finite set of IPs they can assign to domains.
That said you're still running a risk.
You should know that these big providers probably own very few POPs themselves. (well, not as many as you would think)
They work by contracting with third party POP providers, like UUNet, Quest, Starnet(?), and others that "do this for a living."
When you dial in and authenticate a particular way, SERVICE/username,(varies) and the third party passes it over to the real ISP for password and service verification. You will receive an IP (generally)from the POP provider and it will be within a relatively small range they use in your area.
In a small city, it could be as small as a single C-block (255 IPs), but in a decent sized city it could be three or four or more (thousands of IPs!).
