The question is, “can you be tracked down on the internet?”
Your IP address is no secret. It's a basic part of internet communication protocols to send your IP address whenever you connect to another site, request a web page, chat, play an online game, etc. Without your IP address, the computer on the other end wouldn't know where to send the reply.
But that doesn't mean that Evildoers can find your house if they know your IP address. Each time you go online (if you have dialup) or each time you start your computer (Cable or DSL) you are assigned an IP address, randomly selected from a pool of IP's assigned to your Internet service provider (ISP).
So a person MIGHT be able to get a general idea of your geographic location, based on your IP address, by doing a lookup on the WHOIS database, but that will only tell them the physical location of your ISP -- not YOUR home address.
And if you use a large regional or nationwide ISP, the IP lookup probably reveals nothing of interest. For example, if you are an AOL subscriber, your IP address lookup will show the location as Dulles, Virginia -- regardless of where you live.
There is an exception to every rule. If a stranger calls your ISP and wants to know who was using a certain IP address last Tuesday, the ISP will tell them to go away. But if an officer of the law hands your ISP a court order to reveal that information, they must do so. Your ISP's logs will enable them to determine which customer was using a certain IP address on a certain date & time, and they must reveal that information if a court has found probable cause for criminal activity.
But for the truly paranoid (or the criminally inclined) there are ways to surf the web anonymously. There are services that will act as a proxy between you and your ISP, and they claim that your information cannot be subpoenaed because they do not store it.
What About Email Addresses?
The same concepts apply to your email address. The part that follows the "@" sign is your ISP's domain name. And given the domain name, one can determine the ISP's physical location, but nothing personally identifying about the email user without a court order.
Web-based email accounts are not truly anonymous, either. Even if you don't provide your real name when signing up, they can capture your IP address and track you through your ISP if necessary.
Changing Web Hosting Services
Sometimes, to get the service you want, you have to make changes. Things happen, especially with web hosting providers. Your host services may have taken a performance dip or you may have notice a lack of customer support. You make a decision to change host providers and you go with it. You have to be smart about changing over so here are some steps for you to consider.
Backup Your Files – Most people don’t perform backups of their files on their web servers. That’s bad because if something does happen, you lose everything. Make sure that you backup your files before you switch providers. Don’t forget to copy some files, designs, graphics, databases, or emails prior to discontinuing your present hosting service. Otherwise you will find that once you are no longer a customer, all of your data is wiped clean.
Get a Compatible Host for Your Business - Many customers switch web hosting providers not even considering researching the host services to see if they are compatible. Find out if the new provider supports your applications or files. This is important when it comes to server side scripts, shopping cart systems, merchant accounts, e-commerce software, SSL security. make sure they can support your operation and applications. I use and recommend Hostgator.com.
Know Your Transfer Settings - One fundamental step in transferring your site to a new web hosting provider is going to be to change name servers for your domain. Don't wait until the last minute to do this. Waiting too late could mean your site and domain name could be down for a few days.
Make sure that everything goes smooth if your old host goes out of business or if something happens, such as a change in service that would prompt you to look for another web host. Treat it as a marriage! Make sure your new web host is compatible.
Develop Your SOHO Network
If you have a SOHO and you use more than one computer in the home, you don’t want to get two DSL connections to hook other computers up in the home with. Your husband might prefer to work in the basement while you work in the home office and your children might want to surf the net all at the same time. What you need to do is configure a wireless network in your home.
There are several options to consider in creating a wireless home network which is simply allowing other computers to communicate with one another in the same house. These computers can share an internet connection, printers, scanners, files and other gadgets and devices. If you have a SOHO business, you can partition applications and documents from certain users.
The different network types use different hardware, but they all have these components:
More than one computerHardware devices (such as a router) and software (either built in to the operating system or as a separate application)A path for the information to follow from one computer to anotherThe two most popular home network types are wireless and Ethernet networks. In both of these types, a routing device or router does most of the work by directing the traffic between the connected devices.
Ethernet networks are slowly phasing out because of the cables that you have to install. Wireless is becoming the standard for the home network because of the drop in cost of wireless components.
You connect the router to your dial-up, DSL or cable modem interface. This will allow several users to share one connection to the internet. Some of these routers are combo routers that combine both wireless and Ethernet technology.
If you're going to connect your network to the World Wide Web, you'll need a firewall. A firewall is simply a program or hardware device that protects your network from users that hack systems and offensive Web sites. Many software firewalls block all incoming information by default and prompt you for permission to allow the information to pass. In this way, a software firewall can learn which types of information you want to allow into your network.
There are fault tolerant firewall devices also build in routers in case of a network crash. These devices will make sure none of your information gets damaged.
It is a good idea to put a wireless network in your SOHO so that everyone can share access and use different computers instead of the business computer.
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Thank You,
Warren Yarnall
Author/Webmaster
Customer Care Representative
www.articles-barn.com
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Email: warren@articles-barn.com
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