Question about VPN and positive IP hits

TommyTDL · 2023-03-06 6:06 pm

Not quite understanding IP's in relation to VPN's. I've tried to search study it a few times but still end up confused.

If a new member is shown to be using a VPN and the IP used gets positive hits for spam here on SFS is that a smoking gun or is the IP shown being randomly generated or something like that?

Thanks

Alex Kemp · 2023-03-06 8:24 pm

If a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is used then your forum receives the VPN IP-Address rather than the posters personal IP-Address. In that way, VPNs are often used to hide the actual source of postings. If VPNs allow their users to spam then that VPN deserves to become known as a source of spam.

TommyTDL wrote:

or is the IP shown being randomly generated or something like that?

What you are suggesting is not possible.

Nodes on the Internet are assigned IP addresses centrally. When two nodes wish to communicate they use the TCP/IP protocol, and within that protocol the establishment of the communication begins with a three-way handshake. The purpose of the handshake is to assure both sides of the communication that the other side is who they say they are, meaning that each side knows the other side's IP-Address without equivocation.

To take this just a little bit further:

Internet servers usually obtain an IP Address for the server that is permanent, and obtain a host that has direct Internet backbone connections as to obtain the fastest access possible. A VPN is normally such a server; it accepts connections from users that wish to access the Internet under the cloak of the VPN rather than via an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The point here is that the VPN passes on & rewrites the user connections under it's own IP rather than under the user's IP. It then does the same in reverse with any responses that the user receives.

An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is normally a body that has direct Internet backbone connections & offers to host users and connect them to the Internet. The ISP is permanently assigned a pool of IP-Addresses. The ISP users are assigned one of those IP-Addresses on connection to the ISP & thus to the Internet; that assignment is either permanent (just like a server) or temporary. If temporary, the assignment is made by the ISP from the pool at the time of connection by the user to the ISP, and when the user disconnects the IP is returned to the pool.

The difference between ISPs & VPNs is that an ISP receives connections from users & connects those users to the Internet. VPNs only receive connections from the Internet & re-send those connections on, also to the Internet, but under a different IP. Because of that, an ISP will normally be physically very close to it's users. A VPN may be anywhere in the world, and therefore may be on a completely different continent to it's users.

HTH

pedigree · 2023-03-07 3:05 am

yup, VPNs are treated just like any other IP. if they're listed and I see that its a data center IP address then I'm not going to remove it with a request from a VPN user, only a VPN company representative.

TommyTDL · 2023-03-07 2:39 pm

Thank you both, it's much clearer now. So in reality, the VPN company because they have allowed the activity at some point needs to has to explain to it's customers why their IP keeps getting them blocked as a spam source.

Alex Kemp · 2023-03-07 5:14 pm

Yes TommyTDL, I completely agree with your statement.

It is a very similar situation with Tor connections, in that due to the method of working a Tor user is also anonymous whilst using a Tor browser. That also tends to cause Tor endpoints to become synonymous with criminal activity & spam.

Oblivian · 2023-03-14 5:12 am

The ISP users are assigned one of those IP-Addresses on connection to the ISP

Or a heap of them

Here CG-NAT is the norm ISP side. Making inbound tunneling all that much harder, and IP sharing that much more

Unsure of the exact pool size. But I'd expect at least 32 per.

#1 2023-03-06 6:06 pm

Question about VPN and positive IP hits

#2 2023-03-06 8:24 pm

Re: Question about VPN and positive IP hits

#3 2023-03-07 3:05 am

Re: Question about VPN and positive IP hits

#4 2023-03-07 2:39 pm

Re: Question about VPN and positive IP hits

#5 2023-03-07 5:14 pm

Re: Question about VPN and positive IP hits

#6 2023-03-14 5:12 am

Re: Question about VPN and positive IP hits

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