Can one avoid indivertibly influencing your own web statistics?

[William Davis]

We always have several people working on our web site, can one avoid indivertibly influencing your own web statistics, so our own browsing will not be recorded?

[dotCOM_host]

You sure can... especially if you have multiple people working on it for several hours every day. All these hits and transfers and visits can severely skew your stats.

Most good stats programs have the option to explicitly exclude certain IPs from being counted - precisely because of this issue. Set up all your IPs in the stats program you are using as IPs to be excluded from all calculations, and you are set. You can do this in Webalizer, Urchin, and many other programs. How and where you do it will entirely depend on what sort of stats program you are using right now.

[ILoveHostasaurus]

Generally your host can exclude you from the stats but you'd need to have a static IP address from your internet provider, otherwise it may change quite frequently.

[Vic - WolfPaw Computers]

Even with a dynamic IP address you can block your own address, however doing so could also block actual statistics from others who use the same ISP.

If you are able to have your ISP assign you a static IP, that is always the best way to restrict.

Having a static IP increases your security options as well, by allowing you to insert directives to restrict access to admin by your own IP address, so the outside world cannot even view the admin login page or any other sensitive areas of your website.

[William Davis]

Sounds great, what do I need to do first? Where can I obtain my IP address? Is it in my computer or do I need to contact ISP -we use several computers? We also use a router and it is my understanding that it generates dynamic IP addresses.

[dotCOM_host]

Visit http://www.WhatIsMyIP.com to see your public IP address, as the world would see you and what would be logged in your server log files. That's the IP address you'd want excluded from your stats.

[William Davis]

Visit http://www.WhatIsMyIP.com to see your public IP address, as the world would see you and what would be logged in your server log files. That's the IP address you'd want excluded from your stats.

Got it -would that IP address ever change like David mentioned?

[dotCOM_host]

It will very much depend on your ISP and how you get your internet access from them. If you have a residential service through dial-up, cable modem or DSL, yes, it may change (especially on dial-up). Cable modem and DSL can often change, but in more practical terms - as long as your cable modem or DSL modem stays on 24/7, the IP should never change. If you have business class service, your IP should be fixed and should never change. Some ISPs offer fixed IPs on residential lines as well (cable modem, DSL and fiber lines only), but that's not too common.

[William Davis]

It will very much depend on your ISP and how you get your internet access from them. If you have a residential service through dial-up, cable modem or DSL, yes, it may change (especially on dial-up). Cable modem and DSL can often change, but in more practical terms - as long as your cable modem or DSL modem stays on 24/7, the IP should never change. If you have business class service, your IP should be fixed and should never change. Some ISPs offer fixed IPs on residential lines as well (cable modem, DSL and fiber lines only), but that's not too common.

I called my ISP and they don't know they think it's dynamic -can you believe that?

What if I turn off my DSL modem overnight to see if the address changes?

[dotCOM_host]

I called my ISP and they don't know they think it's dynamic -can you believe that?

What if I turn off my DSL modem overnight to see if the address changes?
That's one sucky ISP :-) Not to know the basics of what your own company offers - sad...

You can try turning off your DSL modem for a few hours (overnight) and see if the IP address changes, but - even if it is dynamic IP, the address may not change overnight IF the ISP has a long DHCP timeout setting and they don't need to reuse your IP. In most cases if the DHCP timeout is long enough, rebooting your DSL/cable modem or even powering off for a few hours may simply re-synchronize with the same IP address the next time you boot it up. The MAC address of the device in question may be registered in their DHCP server and if the 'power off' time is less than their DHCP timeout, you will get the same IP.

In most cases the ISP wouldn't give you a login to your DSL or cable modem to see or change any settings, but if yours did - log on to it and see what your settings are. If you see a hardcoded IP - problem solved. If you see DHCP setup - you have a dynamically assigned IP.

Or, even simpler - if you have residential DSL or cable modem service - chances are very high that you have a dynamic IP. Most ISPs assign static IPs only to business class services, which are allowed to host internet accessible services - ergo need a fixed IP address. On residential services, you are not allowed to run a web or mail or ftp server, so having a fixed IP is unnecessary.

[Vic - WolfPaw Computers]

Many cable modem and DSL companies use what is called Reserve based Dynamic IPs.

This is what Remik was hinting at.

Basically, as long as the MAC address (physical address assigned to your computer's network card when it is manufactured) does not change, neither will your IP address - unless the ISP changes subnets or network segments you might be assigned to. Even leaving the modem off for 24 hours may not be enough to flush the MAC address from their system and cause a new IP to be issued.

When we had Comcast at the house, they seemed to like to re-segment their network about every 3 months to avoid over saturation and slow speeds.

When I worked for a broadband ISP as a Technical Support Manager, we used reserve based IPs for apartment complexes and larger housing developments. Its pretty common in broadband NOT to have a truely dynamic IP.

I'd call your ISP back and ask to speak to a supervisor or network engineer. I wouldnt expect many of their 1st level techs to know a dynamic IP from a mouse. If its not in their script - their lost.

Escalate up the chain until you get an answer from someone that actually knows what you (and they) are talking about.

[Random Confusion]

I started with DSL service 7 years ago with a dynamic IP address. In all of that time I have had the same IP address because my router (at least) is connected to the rest of the world, so keeps the address fresh.

For all intents and purposes, if someone is connected to the internet continuously then you'll not have to worry about updating the IP address in the list (now, if you see the stats rise in an area you know is being worked on, you need to fix it.)

I have had others around me try to ensure that the IP doesn't change by assigning it manually to their system, but we all know that that is fine until that one day when the power goes out for 3 days and by the time it comes back on there's another system out there with the same IP that you have manually inputted and now there's a conflict. SWBell (SBC, AT&T, whomever they are this week) tends to get a bit excited when that happens.

RC

It will very much depend on your ISP and how you get your internet access from them. If you have a residential service through dial-up, cable modem or DSL, yes, it may change (especially on dial-up). Cable modem and DSL can often change, but in more practical terms - as long as your cable modem or DSL modem stays on 24/7, the IP should never change. If you have business class service, your IP should be fixed and should never change. Some ISPs offer fixed IPs on residential lines as well (cable modem, DSL and fiber lines only), but that's not too common.

[ILoveHostasaurus]

I've seen that too, I have verizon's fiber service and I don't think my IP has changed in a few months, but when their service goes down, which happens every few months, I always end up with a new IP. I think it depends on the provider, some I have seen change the IP's often, probably to try to lessen the number of customers running game/mp3/etc. servers from home.

[William Davis]

Here is waht I been able to find out. Billing informs me that I have a dynamic IP address, but they can supply with a static/fixed for an additioanl $14.95 a month.

Unless there are other benefits, I don't believe the additioanl caost is worth it. Do you folks think its worth it? If so, why?

[ILoveHostasaurus]

The price is unreasonbly high, ask for a supervisor and see if you can get them to waive the fee or reduce it, typically it's $5/month.

Besdies the stats aspect, another nice reason to have a static address is then there's no chance of getting an IP that the person before you was using to spam or that the person's kid was using to hack into something or launch an attack, etc., all of which could lead to that IP being blocked in some way from various sites or email servers.

[Random Confusion]

$5? For my DSL it'll cost me at least $30/month to get a static IP.

I think I'll have to rattle some cages and see if I can get the parrot to move.

RC

[quote=ILoveHostasaurus]The price is unreasonbly high, ask for a supervisor and see if you can get them to waive the fee or reduce it, typically it's $5/month.
[quote]

[ILoveHostasaurus]

Some places try to ramp you up into 'business class' to get a static IP but often they'll have some other option that the support people don't always know about.

[dotCOM_host]

I was going to say... ;-) Most ISPs will force you into upgrading into a business-class package to get a fixed IP and it's usually $50+ per month more than residential, so the $14.95 seems like a good deal - considering that business-class service is rarely any faster or more stable than residential so you are really not gaining much by switching to business-class service. If you want a fixed IP, I'd say $14.95 is a decent price to get one, though of course it doesn't hurt to ask for a lower price. Worst can happen is they will say no, leaving you at the $14.95 option. For me, that would be a no-brainer solution...

[Random Confusion]

And considering I'm not out anything if I stick with dynamic, if I don't get a price I like, I just say "thanks, but no thanks."

RC

[William Davis]

I don't know about you folks, but our telephone provider BellSouth would not budge -$14.95 aa month take it or leave it.

Please let me know if anyone else had any luck.