4 ms·
> Put simply: there is no uniform way to systematically map physical locations based on IP addresses or create a phone book to lookup users of particular IP add
by xienze 10y ago
> Put simply: there is no uniform way to systematically map physical locations based on IP addresses or create a phone book to lookup users of particular IP addresses.
Maybe today, but when we have wide deployment of IPv6 (heh), won't ISPs do away with NATing and give everyone their own block of IPs? Then I would think you could reliably tie a person to an IP address as long as the ISP cooperates.
- mikeash 10y agoNAT isn't the only or even the most important source of errors here. The article cites two examples, one where imprecise IP location information was being represented as precise, and one where a Tor exit node was mistaken as the actual originator. Neither one would have been fixed by using IPv6.
- snuxoll 10y agoWell, location will be fixed to an extent with IPv6. All you need to do is contact the ISP that owns the appropriate /48 or whatever they were given, ask them the address of the customer with said /64 and there you go. Of course, this is the same thing they should already be doing with v4, carrier-grade NAT is fairly uncommon for anything but mobile use except in Asian countries. Still, you can't tie an IP address to a specific person or computer, v4 has NAT to contend with and privacy extensions with v6 (which Microsoft and Apple use by default, most Linux distributions do as well) - so regardless if you can get the physical location where that IPv4 address or IPv6 prefix is assigned it does you no good on determining who was actually behind that address (unsecured wifi or easy to crack passwords, malware, the list goes on).
- mikeash 10y agoThe first example isn't due to an inability to get the location, but using a source of data that didn't have it, and didn't adequately explain that fact. It'll happen just as easily with IPv6.
- arca_vorago 10y agoOne more reason I disagree with the current anti ipv6nat sentiment. I understand the reasons people are against it, but when I try to explain my reasoning it gets casually dismissed.
- snuxoll 10y agoIPv6 privacy addresses solve this for the most part, NATv6 isn't going to do anything for you above that they provide as far as people trying to identify your location by the IPv6 prefix or address (if you've been given a /128 to NAT).
- gm-conspiracy 10y agoI recommend you watch this: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100436/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100436/