The world according to Sven-S. Porst
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It's easy to find out your own IP, Matthew Thomas says, taking into account Mike Shaver's noticing a website telling you your own IP.
It seems to me that they miss the main point here: Websites like these don't tell you your own IP. They tell you what they believe to be your IP. As soon as you're using a proxy server (or even a transparent proxy) the number it gives you most probably isn't your IP address at all but that proxy server's. If you're on a network with a more complex proxying system as they seem to have on JANET or larger companies, your so-called IP Address may even change between calls to the page. Of course, there are also obvious flaws to this method of determining 'your IP' if there is some NAT stuff going on - or imagine you sitting at an X-terminal with the web browser running remotely (like in my office), what's your IP in that case anyway?
So, I guess there is a use to that page - it may tell you what 'your IP address' may seem to be to web servers and hence help you track down problems with a site in case it tries to 'identify' you using your IP, say. But for Joe Enduser, the way to the appropriate control panel remains the way to go.
As for many questions on web techniques and internet privacy it is worth going to France's CNIL's website for information on this. It will also tell you your supposed IP, but unlike the other services they also have a more in-depth page telling you more about your proxy setup. It may still not give you your own IP, but certainly reveals even more about your network environment by exhibiting things such as the HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR environment variable. [The site seems a bit outdated these days as it doesn't seem to know newer browsers - still it's a good source of information and a good link for giving to people who want to/should learn about privacy issues on the web.
Plus, the main question remains unanswered: Why should any end user want to know his/her IP address. We live in the days of DHCP magic and Rendezvous joy after all. (And when that fails, like when our DHCP server didn't work properly the other day, you can still print using AppleTalk...)
I also found an interesting article on logfile analysis, showing in particular how web-sites are even notified of people reading them from Googles Cache feature. Might be nasty.
January 31, 2003, 3:09
Well, if you’re trying to start a tcp/ip game, or chat instance, or TetriNET server, or Roger Wilco connection - you’ll want to know your IP, so that you can tell your friends what IP to connect to.
Often you find people using small nice tools like ipident.exe that will tell you everything you ever want to know about your network (it tell you between five and twelve different IP numbers or addresses related to you, one of them being your actual IP), but those that don’t have one of those tools ready at all times (or can’t run the file because of the settings at the internet cafe they’re at, for example) depends on sites like that.
February 8, 2003, 4:33
True proxy issues aside site like nakedip.com or whereismyip can be quite helpful…
October 11, 2005, 20:16
Your IP address reveals your point of entry to the Internet and can be used to trace your communications back to your ISP, your employer’s network, your school, a public terminal.
Use our Free Web Proxy to surf the internet anonymously at http://peak40.com
August 28, 2007, 17:32
