Everything on the Internet works by IP (Internet Protocol) Numbers. There is a strict hierarchy or rules which MUST be obeyed, and one of those fundamental rules is that there can NEVER be two IP numbers the same. If there are, all sorts of error messages get generated everywhere, including those in the most unlikely places. Most machines are made so that if 2 machines have the same IP number, one of them is shut down, usually the one that arrived on the network last, and that user is notified that their network interface has been shut down and they can no longer surf the internet.

Under the current system, there can be 4,294,967,296   (4 billion) of these numbers on the internet, which equates to that maximum number of computers. Ten years ago, no-one thought we would ever need any more, but numbers are rapidly running out, and so a new system is coming into operation which will have 3,400,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 addresses (Think we will never run out? Remember there are currently 6,000,000,000 people….and they are talking about everyone's fridge, toaster, deep freeze, telephone, vacuum cleaner etc each to have one to talk on the internet…)

So, when you go onto the internet, you have a unique address, and if you were to do something naughty on the Internet, there is a way of finding out which IP number was the culprit. Some users have fixed IP numbers, especially businesses, as they need to be in the same place each time to be found easily, so they really should be careful, as anyone can find out who is the owner of that IP.

Users that dial up on narrowband however, keep having changing IP numbers. This is because when they dial up, they are given one number at random out of a group of IP numbers to use for as long as they are connected. When they end the call, that number is given to someone else who dials in. When the first user dials in again, they are given a different random number from that pool. If a narrowband user does something naughty, the Police would go to the Internet provider who has that pool of numbers and ask which user was logged on to this IP number at this specific time. The Internet Provider has to keep records by law, and would then pass the required name and address on to the Police, who would “go and discuss” the matter with the person concerned, who would no doubt then “help the Police with their enquiries”

If you want to find out what number you are currently using (fixed or not)

CLICK HERE

You will see that it has all sorts of information on there, including your Internet Provider, what type of Operating System -Windows 98,XP, 2000,Mac etc- and what type of browser you are even using. You're not as anonymous as you thought, are you?