StarDestroyer.Net BBS

I think I may be using a proxy, as I notice that my IP has changed several times. But I never set myself to use a proxy, despite assurance once given to me that it's rare for someone to be using a proxy. The person who gave me this assurance developed a modification for the phpBB software that automatically blocks people who use a proxy from registering, and I noticed that I was blocked from registration when I tested it out.

I was reminded of this problem today because I was wanting to register a personal PayPal account, and so decided to read the User Agreement first, and noted, in section "9.1 Restricted Activities" of that Agreement, that use of "an anonymizing proxy" is forbidden.

So I was wondering, how can I effectively test if I'm using a proxy? And, if it turns out I am using a proxy, how can I make it static?

It's about impossible to be using a proxy without knowing it, unless someone else set up your network. I'm guessing you're using a residential ISP service, and dynamic assignment of IPs is de-facto there. you have to pay extra for static IPs. Your IP will change fairly regularly.

Yes, I'm using a home computer which I bought fresh from Circuit City, and I'm using Verizon DSL for the home. So I take it, it should be OK that my IP changes fairly regularly, and doesn't necessarily mean I'm using a proxy?

Haruko wrote:Yes, I'm using a home computer which I bought fresh from Circuit City, and I'm using Verizon DSL for the home. So I take it, it should be OK that my IP changes fairly regularly, and doesn't necessarily mean I'm using a proxy?

Yeah. Verizon DSL will assign you a dynamic IP. You may keep the same IP for a month, or it may change a couple times in a day. It depends on your usage and factors on their end. If you leave your system online and powered up, you could keep the same IP for quite a while.

It should also be asked what IP are you checking (this is probably redundant, but considering the question maybe not)?

If you're checking locally you are probably getting an address in the 192.168.x.x range - that is your local network address which these days is also likely to be dynamically allocated and thus changing every so often - in this case by the local network's DHCP server - likely your router.

If you're using one of the Internet based IP detection services like whatismyip.com, then you should be getting your ISP assigned address, which as has been noted can be dynamically assigned by your ISP.

In any case you shouldn't be behind a proxy without you knowing about it although it is possible, albeit unlikely, that your ISP is using a so-called transparent proxy which means that to the rest of the Internet all or a number of their customers appear as having the same address. It tends to be rare these days since it is problematic at best though.