What is ISP?

[Arihant]

Hi Dana,
I know little Computer technology & Internet protocol
Please tell me more about ISP address.
Also I tend to access your site from various places /room of my office & then from home..
Does ISP address means you get to know the address of all the ,say four desktop , I am accessing this site?
Thank you!
Arihant

[Dana Nourie]

Hi Arihant,

ISP stands for Internet Service Provider. That is who you pay to have internet service in your home or business.

I think what you are asking about is an IP address. IP stands for Internet Protocol, and is a number that is assigned to your computer for your connection to the internet. Some folks have a static IP, and others are dynamically assigned by their ISP.

The problem with banning people by IP is that so many of us don't use a static IP, but instead have a different one each time we log on to the internet. Most of us are unaware of our IP address. These numbers simply help identify a machine on a network.

So, now this forum allows us to ban folks in several ways, one of which is IP, but also by user name, by host name, and by email address.

Here's more info on IP addresses: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address

[Arihant]

Thank you so much Dana, for being understanding and  giving excellent information  & the link!
My IP address from home & (hopefully) from office is static one.
And agree with Forum methodolgy ,here, to identify some enthusiastic ones who despite being banned , tend to come back again, as another user.

[Dana Nourie]

You are very welcome!

The one I use from home is dynamic. Many ISPs like SBC/Yahoo provide dynamic IPs. I'm not certain exactly how that works, but every time I log onto the internet, I get assigned a temporary IP. So, banning me by IP would not work well. There are certainly other ways to ban me.

Unless you plan on getting banned, IP isn't an issue.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving all of you in the US!

[Arihant]

Thankyou Dana for Thanksgiving wishes..though I am in India!
 Its sweeet of you!

Your reminding me , that , " Unless you plan to get banned , IP isn't an issue"
forced me analyse my motives , but I coud find no such wish...may be its my overactive imagination of Pisces rising & Neptune at h9..

I also thought since I winked at you , you in a sort winked back through writing...

What to add more...
Hmmm..smileys are bit compressed ..they would like nice if they are more clear....

kind regards!

[Arihant]

Hi Dana,
Hope you are having lovely hols!

Please I am also curious to know ,  after logging in to the forum, if we jump to reading atricles of  guest Astrologers.., does your forum page shall still show us active/present.
 Also , the total of numbers of people shown logged-in  for a day at time.. is sum total of members logged in till that time for day..isn't it!
 or its members actively present at that instant/time!

[Dana Nourie]

Hi,

As soon as you log into the forums, or bring up that url in your browser to read as guest, you appear as online below. There is a privacy thingie in your profile you can check if you don't want to be seen. I think. I'll have to double-check that, but I think that's there.

And, yes, the total logged in is for up to that time. Not sure what the times are where it begins counting and ending counting, but my guess is midnight.

I agree, it'd be nice if the icons were a bit larger.