How Does Ip Tracking Work
IP address trackers- how do they work? – Lead Forensics
IP addresses are paramount to online connectivity, and they offer B2B marketing and sales teams some incredible opportunities. Tracking IP addresses can advance your website analysis, boost marketing campaign success and benefit lead generation for sales success. But how can IP addresses be tracked? IP address tracking technology has been part of our digital world for years, it’s right that we understand how they can be best used to maximize our strategies and improve results. Let’s discover how IP address trackers work, what they can offer our businesses and what types of tools feature IP tracking capabilities.
The IP handshake
Before we delve too deeply into the tracking tools themselves, it’s important to understand what makes IP address packing possible. It’s nothing particularly special or magic, it is in essence, part of the Internet Protocol whereby IP addresses must “shake hands” before they work together.
Every time your device connects to a website or another network, you need to exchange IP addressesto ensure data can be properly sent and received between the two parties. It’s like texting a friend- you need to have swapped mobile numbers to make it work- if one of you hid or encrypted your number, you couldn’t properly communicate. Proper communication requires both IP addresses to be fully open, revealing themselves to the other. It is this exchange that makes IP tracking possible.
Struggles can occur when working with IP addresses because of the many categories they can fall into. Private IP addresses for example are exclusive, and don’t let their IP be identified by anyone other than their trusted network. Those using a private IP address connect to a router with a public IP address, allowing them to properly access to the online world- but this can trick IP address trackers, as they shake the hand of the public router as opposed to the device accessing their site.
Recording IP addresses
As IP addresses are automatically identified thanks to the handshake, IP address trackers can easily collect the data they need and record any further movements. This process of recording is usually done through a JavaScript code attached onto the website tracking IP addresses. This code gathers a vast amount of data for website analytics whilst also gathering the IP address in question.
Whilst recording IP addresses is a perfectly legal procedure, differing regulations place different rules on how an IP address is perceived. The GDPR for example classes IP addresses pertaining to individuals as “personal data”, so they cannot be seen, stored, handled or processed without the appropriate lawful basis of processing and the necessary documentation.
Because of this, a clear majority of IP address trackers record all IP addresses, but never relay them back to the user. To ensure compliance, only the data extracted from specific IPs (such as static, business and public) is reported back to the user, and all other information (including the IP address itself) is then deleted. Before recording any IP address, do your research and ensure you remain compliant.
Extracting data
Now the IP address has been identified and recorded, the IP address tracker is ready to extract valuable data. The precise data you’ll gain depends heavily on the specific tool you use, though the majority use IP addresses to determine location.
Whilst IP address tracking tools can’t get location data 100% correct every time, they can often tell the rough location of the device connecting to the IP. Drawing the information from various (sometimes outdated) databases, some IP’s carry more exact location information than others, particularly static IP addresses (as they never change). Tracked dynamic IP addresses however tend to miss the mark slightly when identifying device location, but the result is near enough to help users understand broadly visiting areas (such as state/county).
More advanced tools can use IP addresses to provide even more valuable data, by cross-referencing them to other databases holding business information. This can then extract the business name and location, leading to contact details, key decision makers and more.
IP address tracking can offer businesses enormously helpful and beneficial data. Geo-location insight can help marketers design campaigns to better suit their audience and run localized advertising to target their audience with individual, impactful approaches. Tools that have the additional ability to provide specific business details, improve business lead generation, boosting sales pipeline success and producing ROI.
Types of IP address trackers
As there are many different types of IP address, there are equally many differing types to tools to measure them. Some tools simply take an IP address, and use public databases to draw out location information. These tools can be used by anyone, at any time, they’re free and all you need is the IP address you wish to track. Here are a few examples of these quick-track tools:
WilframAlpha: This website allows you to enter an IP address into a search bar, providing details including the type of IP and location of IP.
IP Lookup: This software also allows users to enter an IP address they wish to trace, providing basic information about the IP location, along with a map and pin.
What is my IP? : This website allows you to track an IP address from an email, learning the location suspicious emails have stemmed from.
IP tracker: Using their “Lookup IP address” button, users can quickly gain IP location and server details including time zone, host-name and basic tools all benefit from being quick, easy IP address trackers, but they offer very little data that businesses can use for mass understanding and analysis. Other IP address trackers are part of bigger tools, giving businesses more of the information they need. Some web analytics software includes IP tracking as part of their data capture and reporting function. As well as providing website metrics and analysis, these tools use IP tracking to give users additional insight into audience origin and visitor behaviour. Here are a few examples of tools with this capability:
Google Analytics: This popular and free analytics tool uses IP tracking to provide details about the audience visiting the website in question, including geo-location and most visiting industries.
Open Web Analytics: Another free tool, offering advanced website metrics also uses IP tracking to better understand the most visiting locations.
These tools are vastly beneficial for marketing departments keen to gain a deeper understanding of their online audience to better cater campaigns for improved results. However, businesses keen to use IP tracking for improved business lead generation, need to most advanced IP address tracker…
Lead Forensics is a ground-breaking tool that tracks the IP addresses visiting your website, then runs them through a privately-owned database of business contacts (the largest of its kind in the world) to provide advanced business data. Lead Forensics can use IP address tracking to tell you:
The names and locations of businesses visiting your website
Names and contact details for key decision makers
A full breakdown of the time they spent on your site including pages viewed and referral
Generate high-quality, valuable leads, and fuel your sales pipeline with new business opportunities-book your free demo and trial today!
Free guide – Revolutionize your business lead generation with the latest technological advancements! Find out more- download B2B lead generation: how modern technologies offer new business opportunities for free today!
Is IP Tracking Illegal? – AddictiveTips
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Did you know that there were over 4. 5 billion active internet users as of October 2020? And that number keeps rising. With more and more people joining the web, so do privacy concerns by users. Any device used to access the internet e. g. a computer normally has an IP address used to identify it. With privacy as the top priority for most Americans on the web, can anyone track your online activities? Is IP tracking illegal, particularly in the US? What is it really, and how can you prevent it on your web device?
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What’s IP tracking? (and is it illegal in the US)
Before you learn what’s IP tracking and its legality, it’s important you learn what an IP address is. An IP address is simply a special number used to identify your computer, phone, or any device you use in the internet or local network.
An IP address allows your computer to be identified by other computers connected on the web via the Internet protocol. There are two main types of IP addresses, namely IPv4 and IPv6. An IPv4 address looks something like this: 67:43:14:95. An IPv6 address is quite longer and looks something like this: 2601:0440:0000:0000:a94e:5ca7:81e2:519.
So back to IP tracking and its legality in the US: IP tracking simply refers to tracking other’s IP addresses on the web. IP tracking is legal only when used in B2B marketing and not person to person.
In the US, IP addresses are considered personal data when referring to individuals, but when the IP belongs to a business, it’s considered public information. This is why lots of B2B organizations do IP tracking all the time. IP tracking helps businesses and organizations better understand their online audiences, and also to generate leads.
The only other way is when law enforcement does this through a subpoena, where they can find the suspect’s Internet Service Provider for the IP address in question. A subpoena is simply a legal tool used to compel suspects in order to prove the case, usually through threatening them with penalties for refusing to comply.
There’s some bit of confusion on the legality of IP tracking because lots of data regulations haven’t been specified yet on how IP addresses should be categorized. Businesses with websites normally do IP tracking by using small snippets of code and software, to know the IP address of other businesses visiting their website. They are then able to identify the businesses visiting their website, then target them later in order to boost more sales and acquire more leads.
So you may be asking, what if you’re using your personal phone to access a business website that uses IP tracking, will the business know everything about you? Since they have your IP? The answer is no. When using your phone to surf the web, your IP won’t expose your personality. This is where privacy policies come into play. Privacy policies in the US are strict and the only thing the business can get from you legally is the IP address. They won’t be able to know your name or location. But is it possible to hide even your IP? Read on to find out.
Tracking IP with VPN
You’ve now learned how IP address tracking works and its legalities, but is it possible to hide your IP as an individual at home or business? Getting a VPN is the answer. Tracking an IP address if you have an VPN is impossible to do. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and the reason it’s so popular is because using it hides your current IP address from any other third parties that could be interested in your IP details.
It also protects your online activity through encryption. While some Internet Service Providers (ISP) may be aware of you using a VPN, they’ll not be able to see your online activities. If you’re a business visiting another business’s website, your real IP won’t be visible to them and hence the business can’t target you in the future.
Can I Be Tracked by my IP Address – WhatIsMyIP.com®
Is it feasible to track my IP address if known by others?
Someone has my IP address, can they find me?
When you connect to the internet through your Internet Service Provider(ISP), they assign an IP address. Your IP address is similar to your mailing address, but for your computer, on the internet. While the IP address used to route internet traffic to your computer it does not reveal your location. If someone was able to get your IP address they could learn a bit about your internet service, such as which provider you use to connect to the internet, but they really can’t locate you, your home, or your office.
In some circumstances they may locate the city you are in, or perhaps a nearby city, but they will not have your physical address. Once they trace you back to your ISP they will lose your trail. While strangers may not be able to find you, your ISP knows where you are. ISPs will generally go to great lengths to protect you and your privacy but they do keep logs of your connections.
One big exception involving law enforcement. If you were to participate in illegal activities then a law enforcement agency can get a court order and submit it to your ISP to request your information. Obviously, easily finding you with law enforcement involved.
In the end, the simple answer is no, that you are unable to track my IP address. If someone was to get your IP address they can not find you. There are other ways you can be located but this isn’t one of them. Posting your name and town online via social media, more likely tracked, than by your IP address.
Frequently Asked Questions about how does ip tracking work
Is IP tracking illegal?
IP tracking is legal only when used in B2B marketing and not person to person. In the US, IP addresses are considered personal data when referring to individuals, but when the IP belongs to a business, it’s considered public information.
Is IP tracking possible?
Your IP address is similar to your mailing address, but for your computer, on the internet. While the IP address used to route internet traffic to your computer it does not reveal your location. … In the end, the simple answer is no, that you are unable to track my IP address.
How accurate is IP tracking?
IP based geolocation services can only provide an approximate measure of geolocation accuracy. With these services, you can obtain 95 percent to 99 percent accuracy of a user’s country. IP based geolocation services provide 55 percent to 80 percent accuracy for a user’s region or state.
