Tracing an IP address

murrayp4

Not sure is this the right forum so mods feel free to move it.
Long story short, my ipod was stolen and someone accessed my gmail, they were obviously just messing about with it as there was a draft email with nothing written in it except the "Sent fro my Ipod" signature
I looked up my gmail log and it showed an access from an unfamiliar IP address.

I've passed on the details of the IP address and the Ipod's serial number to the Gardaí.
So my question is: Can an IP address be traced to an exact postal address (by the Gardaí contacting the isp)??

Well Eircom/IRMA intended to use IP to find people who illegally download their music, so I believe that you can indeed track them down to a house number.

If he used an internet cafe, though...

murrayp4

He used a wi fi connection, I suspect it was a case of him/her sitting on the couch at home (it was 11pm) messing around with the ipod and leaving the draft in gmail without realising it.

watty

You need the time and date and IP
Then the connection used can be traced with a Warrant.

Kevin!

watty wrote: »

You need the time and date and IP
Then the connection used can be traced with a Warrant.

All to which gmail provides in the account log, I really hope that this goes somewhere as if it's a home address it's a very solid case.

I wonder will the Garda bother investigating this case though for the sake of an iPod.

jay93

Kevin! wrote: »

All to which gmail provides in the account log, I really hope that this goes somewhere as if it's a home address it's a very solid case.

I wonder will the Garda bother investigating this case though for the sake of an iPod.

i am nearly sure they will have no problem tracking this down as also the person who has your ipod has accessed your gmail account without your permission so they have commited a crime which the garda should have no problem with helping you out

murrayp4

Kevin! wrote: »

I wonder will the Garda bother investigating this case though for the sake of an iPod.

There was some other stuff taken, all in all about €300 in value. I hope they do something about it, the Garda was pretty clueless when I gave him the details, he said it might be a long time before the 'technical people' get a chance to look at the case. The problem there is that an ipod is an item that can be sold very quickly so time is an issue.

dlofnep

Chances of anything amounting from this are very slim. Not that it's not possible, but more likely that the gardaí will have better things to do with their time.

A IP address is leased to a client for a specific period of time. If you have the timestamp of when it was sent, the Gardaí can issue a request to the ISP (which will own the block of IP adddresses for that range) for the details on who leased the IP address at that time.

I'm not sure how convoluted the paperwork is in Ireland - But I'd imagine it's generally only something they would bother entertaining for more important matters. Not to say that it's not important to catch thieves - but it would be very low on the scale of things gardaí would spend their time on.

hightower1

murrayp4 wrote: »

There was some other stuff taken, all in all about €300 in value. I hope they do something about it, the Garda was pretty clueless when I gave him the details, he said it might be a long time before the 'technical people' get a chance to look at the case. The problem there is that an ipod is an item that can be sold very quickly so time is an issue.

Well in fairness most gardai are completely clueless on matters of tech. Its not a difficult process for them to get the name and address of the person in questions.

Take the IP, enter to http://whatismyipaddress.com/ , then requestion the isp who owns the ip for the customer details of who had that ip assigned to them at the time and date in question through a warrant. Bobs your uncle.

murrayp4

dlofnep wrote: »

If you have the timestamp of when it was sent, the Gardaí can issue a request to the ISP (which will own the block of IP adddresses for that range) for the details on who leased the IP address at that time.

I gave them the date, time and IP address

watty

The garda do request users of IPs from ISPs. They caught a scammer in Dublin using an Internet Cafe. Not many scammers use a different place each session They went and waited for him to come back.

dlofnep

murrayp4 wrote: »

I gave them the date, time and IP address

That's all they will need. I do however seriously doubt they will do anything with it. Who knows though! The Gardaí might have a streamlined process with ISP's.

PogMoThoin

Doubt any Isp would give any information without a court order, this is unlikely for a small item like an ipod

watty

Yes, the ISP needs a court order.

VERYinterested

A couple of years back my son had his iPod stolen off him in Dundrum. I only found out two months after it was stolen. He vaguely knew the two scumbags that took his iPod. I brought him to the Gardai in Dundrum and to be fair they took great interest in the case, despite the trail being well cold. They didn't get the iPod back, but they did get him compensated for the value of one.

What happened was we went to the station and they took details briefly and followed it up the next day, took a statement from my son. The Gardai got in touch with the two scumbags that took it, one of them rang my son calling him a rat. Big mistake as the Gardai did not mention any injured party, so they now knew who took it and it verified the story. My son recorded the call and the Gardai got on to Vodafone with my son's permission and were able to trace the number the call had come from. It took a couple of months, but the scumbags were given the option of a day in court or coughing up the value of the iPod which Mammy and Daddy were only too delighted to do.

So don't be disheartened, if you're not happy with what the Garda you reported it to said, ask for the Sergeant. You never know what they will uncover by catching the scumbag that took your property, the Gardai aren't only interested in solving bank raids where millions of euro are stolen.

Dummy

VERYinterested wrote: »

A couple of years back my son had his iPod stolen off him in Dundrum. I only found out two months after it was stolen. He vaguely knew the two scumbags that took his iPod. I brought him to the Gardai in Dundrum and to be fair they took great interest in the case, despite the trail being well cold. They didn't get the iPod back, but they did get him compensated for the value of one.

What happened was we went to the station and they took details briefly and followed it up the next day, took a statement from my son. The Gardai got in touch with the two scumbags that took it, one of them rang my son calling him a rat. Big mistake as the Gardai did not mention any injured party, so they now knew who took it and it verified the story. My son recorded the call and the Gardai got on to Vodafone with my son's permission and were able to trace the number the call had come from. It took a couple of months, but the scumbags were given the option of a day in court or coughing up the value of the iPod which Mammy and Daddy were only too delighted to do.

So don't be disheartened, if you're not happy with what the Garda you reported it to said, ask for the Sergeant. You never know what they will uncover by catching the scumbag that took your property, the Gardai aren't only interested in solving bank raids where millions of euro are stolen.

Brilliant !!

murrayp4

VERYinterested wrote: »

A couple of years back my son had his iPod stolen off him in Dundrum. I only found out two months after it was stolen. He vaguely knew the two scumbags that took his iPod. I brought him to the Gardai in Dundrum and to be fair they took great interest in the case, despite the trail being well cold. They didn't get the iPod back, but they did get him compensated for the value of one.

What happened was we went to the station and they took details briefly and followed it up the next day, took a statement from my son. The Gardai got in touch with the two scumbags that took it, one of them rang my son calling him a rat. Big mistake as the Gardai did not mention any injured party, so they now knew who took it and it verified the story. My son recorded the call and the Gardai got on to Vodafone with my son's permission and were able to trace the number the call had come from. It took a couple of months, but the scumbags were given the option of a day in court or coughing up the value of the iPod which Mammy and Daddy were only too delighted to do.

So don't be disheartened, if you're not happy with what the Garda you reported it to said, ask for the Sergeant. You never know what they will uncover by catching the scumbag that took your property, the Gardai aren't only interested in solving bank raids where millions of euro are stolen.

That's a great story...:D