FreeGameDev

Post them here. Until we're certain of a working patch on the auth system, I'll be blocking IPs with a firewall. I'd recommend the same to anyone else who's running a server right now.

206.75.150.163

You know that most IPs are dynamic right? And that blocking IPs is useless since one can change IPs really fast and also because you will have more than one user with the same IP address if they use the same ISP or are behind the same network/NAT, you'll end up blocking more users than those that are guilty.

Still it's a simple short term solution, but please bare in mind that it wont' stop users.

I have a static IP. O.o

Oh, it does stop troublemakers, and quite effectively too. Just make sure you block open the most common open proxies too (there are many lists on the web), and use a range block against dynamic IPs where necessary.

One sure-fire way to really block someone would be to ban by MAC address, but that's not something that can usually be done. It's a very nice concept though. For those unfamiliar with MAC addresses, every device has a unique Media Access Control Addresss. So if you block one, that device is done. Period. However, MAC Addresses can also be spoofed, so there's really no sure fire way to block someone permanently.

Knitter {l Wrote}:You know that most IPs are dynamic right? And that blocking IPs is useless since one can change IPs really fast and also because you will have more than one user with the same IP address if they use the same ISP or are behind the same network/NAT, you'll end up blocking more users than those that are guilty.

Still it's a simple short term solution, but please bare in mind that it wont' stop users.

Thank you for your feedback. I do know a little bit about networking . Most people cannot change IPs easily -- every ISP I've worked with has issued DHCP leases for a minimum of 24 hours. You can't just "request" a new IP -- as a subscriber, you have to unplug your modem and wait for the address to be leased to someone else. Depending on the ISP, this usually takes a long time. If a person is persistent enough, there is no way to stop them -- not punkbuster, not IP bans, nothing. The point is to block access for long enough that the person becomes bored and moves on. And of the serveral hundred million reserved IP4 addresses that exist, I don't think blocking a few of them will be a problem.

Edit: This is, of course, assuming that we're talking about broadband. Anyone who's insane enough to still use dial-up is beyond my realm of knowledge.

Naturally results may vary but I just need to restart my ADSL router, and that takes up to 30 seconds, to get a new IP . Most users with the same ADSL router in my ISP have the same result, it was a trick we used often in services like megaupload and rapidshare that block IPs for free downloads.

My previous ISP would keep me on the same IP for weeks or even months but this one doesn't, and it gets worse if I'm using a mobile connection... but I'm derailing the topic, we can discuss this in some other place.

Bigger company = quicker re-leases. I'd be lucky on Telstra to get anything resembling the previous IP address I had each time I connect (they have a biiiiiiig pool over many many net blocks).

But couldn't a hacker/spiteful player post the IP of someone they don't like, just to mess things up?
Julian

Of course, I wouldn't ban an IP just because Joe Mo created an account and said this IP was bad.

How about posting their IP as well as their RE online name or forum name so that we can at least recognize them. Makes it easier when you know you can relate to the person you are banning (because maybe you played a couple of games with them).

I don't mean to pry, but isn't it unethical to post someones IP publicly? How would you feel having your privacy violated by someone posting your IP publicly?

Phy83r0pt1k {l Wrote}:I don't mean to pry, but isn't it unethical to post someones IP publicly? How would you feel having your privacy violated by someone posting your IP publicly?

Its only for punishing bad players, or players who bot/hack. I'm not saying i support the idea or anything. If anything, It gives me more reason to be a good sportsmanlike player

orbitaldecay {l Wrote}:Edit: This is, of course, assuming that we're talking about broadband. Anyone who's insane enough to still use dial-up is beyond my realm of knowledge.

Hello my 256 kbps Wireless-modem-connection salutes you . mwahahahahahahaaaaaaa!!!

Phy83r0pt1k {l Wrote}:I don't mean to pry, but isn't it unethical to post someones IP publicly? How would you feel having your privacy violated by someone posting your IP publicly?

That is a great question. I would argue that it is not unethical to post someones IP because (IMO) it is not private information. I certainly don't care if anyone knows my IP (it is, in fact, quite easy to determine). Birthdate and address would be a little questionable

I agree, ip addresses are public information and you disclose it every time you make a connection.

qreeves {l Wrote}:I agree, ip addresses are public information and you disclose it every time you make a connection.

I've thought of it like this: Your IP address is like your name. Same as you walk into your local coffeeshop for your daily cappuccino, when you enter a website, your IP follows you. It's like identification. Only difference is some people have the same name, whereas in IP, people don't really get the same.

It depends on where you are actually, in here (Portugal) it could be illegal to collect IP addresses and maintain them for user identification without the explicit consent of the user.

But getting the IPs the way you do and placing them here isn't really a problem and besides most of the IPs you would collect can't really pinpoint a single user, it identifies one network at best. You'll never get my IP, what you have is the IP to the router that controls my network since I don't have a public/static IP, and most users don't have one.

Knitter {l Wrote}:It depends on where you are actually, in here (Portugal) it could be illegal to collect IP addresses and maintain them for user identification without the explicit consent of the user.

But getting the IPs the way you do and placing them here isn't really a problem and besides most of the IPs you would collect can't really pinpoint a single user, it identifies one network at best. You'll never get my IP, what you have is the IP to the router that controls my network since I don't have a public/static IP, and most users don't have one.

That's interesting, I'm not sure of the legal status here in the U.S. of collecting IPs. Of course, you are exactly right, an IP does not uniquely identify an individual unless that IP is static, which is not true for most users. Though, I'm not entirely sure what you mean when you say that you don't have a public IP. Your computer might not have a public IP, but your modem certainly does, which is what people usually mean when they talk about "their" IP address.