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IP address on public network

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Xenonym:
Am I wrong here or is everyone missing the one point that can't be worked around.  While the download may not be determined due to encryption, and the source may not be trackable due to anonymizers, to make the connection in the first place, the router assigns (albit temporarily in the case of DHCP) the IP address to a MAC address.  This guarantees that the routing goes to the right place (assuming the IP address doesn't point to more than one address, but that is another issue that shows immediately to at least one person with that address).  Therefore, with even the most basic logging, all sources, even wireless, has access to the MAC address of that interface.

THEORETICAL DISCUSSION POINT HERE - MAY OR MAY NOT BE FEASIBLE IN REALITY!

Once you have the MAC address, you can then follow MAC address connections and if you use wireless in your house regularly, you can determine where that MAC address connects most of the time.  Even if not, you can narrow it to a specific location and frequent any location that seems to show a regular connection to the hotspot.  Once you see that connection made, you found the person.

/THEORY

Is this time consuming - absolutely.  Will it happen?  Probably not.  Is it possible in reality?  This I do not know, as you would essentially have to gain access to each hotspot and search the history to track the MAC Address.  This would require a HUGE amount of resources and probably a ton of cooperation that may or may not be available.  Would someone attempt this for an illegal torrent, doubt it.  For National Security, Weapons trafficking, or espionage?  Not so doubtful.  The real question here is can it happen vs. how likely is it to happen.
-steeladept (June 16, 2010, 07:21 AM)
--- End quote ---

Unfortunately, MAC addresses are also very easily spoofed. I can only assume anyone doing espionage or anything of that sort would have covered that weak spot. There are probably easier ways to track a person down then the method you describe. In theory, this would be workable, but practically it will just take too much time.

steeladept:
True, they can be spoofed, but how often does anyone actually change them?  Other than to set a router to match a machine or to make one machine match another for some specific reason, I would venture to say NEVER.

As for tracking someone, I agree.  That might be one individual way used in concert with other ways.  It was more an example lending to the OP's question.  That being can they be tracked.  My answer is yes, but it is unlikely.

rgdot:
Router's Routing table will save the interface that the IP/computer is 'attached' to. Switches will save Mac addresses in their Mac tables.

Deozaan:
Someone was recently tracked down through a public/open wifi access point and arrested for criminal actions:

Barry Ardolf, 45, is accused of using his neighbor’s computer to send the threatening message to the Vice President [Joe Biden]. Ardolf has a history of disagreements with neighbors in the various places he has lived.

According to the affidavits filed by FBI Special Agent Robert Cameron, Ardolf was already using his technical skills to harass his neighbors. Not only did he send threatening messages to the Vice President, Ardolf also sent child pornography to his neighbor’s colleagues under a fake email account he set up [in his neighbor's name] without his neighbor’s knowledge.-http://www.thenewnewinternet.com/2010/06/15/hacker-threatens-biden-frames-neighbor/
--- End quote ---

So, as has been said before: Yes it's possible for you to be tracked down through public/open wifi APs.

Note: Additional details from http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=15&sid=1983642

Eóin:
Technical skills? Sounds more like 1337 haxxor skillz to me!

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