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Posted by David Sherman [24.32.202.83] on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 14:19:17 :
In Reply to: IP test posted by Joe Cimoch [68.116.181.98] on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 12:01:21 :
Unless you're paying your ISP extra for a fixed IP address, they can change your IP address at any time. With dialup, it usually changes every time you dial in. With cable or DSL it tends to stay the same for a long time, but they don't guarantee it (unless you pay extra). Thus, an IP is not a reliable identifier like a phone number or street address is.
There are known bad IP addresses that are being used by spammers, and lots of people including ISPs and board operators block them. One can subscribe to various blacklists of known bad IPs. On the other hand, there's no way to make a reliable list of known good IPs, even if you already know who all your friends are and you only want them to be accepted. A certain amount of spam, like junk mail, seems to be an unavoidable fact of life.
To find out what your IP address currently is, you don't have to make test posts to this forum. You can just go to one of the many sites that displays your IP for you. This one also maps your physical location, which is usually your ISP's office. If you have dialup, you'll notice that it changes frequently. If you have some other kind of access, it might change less often.
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