Tracing IP Address

IP address or internet protocol address may sound too complex to understand but it's actually simpler than you think.  An IP address works the same way as a typical house address – it identifies the exact location of a house or a computer.  Whenever your computer connects to any of these networks, it gets an assigned IP address, which becomes its unique identifier in the network.  This will make sure that the information you are requesting from a network, such as file transfers and downloads, will be routed to your computer and not to someone else's.    

Network users often require log-on credentials to be put in prior to getting connected.  The network server would start tracing IP address of the computer requesting access.  If the computer is registered, it is authenticated and communication exchange can now take place.  Tracing IP address gives security to both users and network administrators and servers when going online. 

If not careful, you could become a victim of internet scams.  For example, you could receive an email from someone who is claiming that he is a relative and or long-lost friend who is in need of help and asks you to send money.  How can you be sure that you know this person?  What if someone requests you to send certain information or report either through email or data ntransfer?  How can you be sure this information will not fall into the wrong hands and?  Perhaps another common example would be if you keep receiving messages coming from a person you don't know and you start feeling that your privacy has been compromised, how do you take action? Tracing IP address will help you find the answers.

Nowadays, there are online tracing IP address tools that you can use to find out what you need.  First, you need to determine the IP address of your unknown e-mail sender by going to your email settings.  Second, go to a website that can do IP searches.  Understand that there are limitations to these searches.  At most, it can give you the ISP of the unknown subject and his geographic location but it will not give a specific name.  You may need a court order to get that information from the ISP.    Although limited, you at least have enough information to file a complaint to the ISP concerned. 

A simple rule of thumb to keep yourself and your computer protected is to install internet security software and be wary of any email requesting for information to be sent.