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Thief stole macbook, then logged on and I can see his IP address.

  • 17-01-2012 11:03pm
    #1
    Woody_FX
    Registered Users Posts: 215 ✭✭


    Hi guys,

    Long story short, thief stole macbook from my house, I can see his IP address through various programs I have installed on the stolen computer everytime he turned it on. And he turned it on immediately after he stole it.

    Its a fixed IP address provided by a small local ISP.

    What would it take to get the name/address of the user who owns this account?

    Thanks,
    -W


Comments

  • #2
    Yahew
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭Yahew


    Woody_FX wrote: »
    Hi guys,

    Long story short, thief stole macbook from my house, I can see his IP address through various programs I have installed on the stolen computer everytime he turned it on. And he turned it on immediately after he stole it.

    Its a fixed IP address provided by a small local ISP.

    What would it take to get the name/address of the user who owns this account?

    Thanks,
    -W

    well, the police can ask the isp.


  • #3
    Tom Young
    Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 4,338 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tom Young


    Yes, they can under the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011. Report it to your local Gardai and bring print offs. The tracing can happen quickly.


  • #4
    Zambia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭Zambia


    is there no find my mac book app?


  • #5
    Rulmeq
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,094 ✭✭✭Rulmeq


    Zambia wrote: »
    is there no find my mac book app?

    There's several, but they all need to be installed before it's stolen :(


  • #6
    Zambia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭Zambia


    Rulmeq wrote: »
    There's several, but they all need to be installed before it's stolen :(

    In hindsight they would have been a better use of time and money installing ... know for next time:)


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  • #7
    johnboysligo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 388 ✭✭johnboysligo


    If you do go to the garda make sure you have the serial numbers and relevant documents to prove it is yours.

    Having access to an tracking service is probably not enough to claim ownership of the item, either way if you have the serial numbers and can prove you bought the laptop then the garda can act in good faith to recover your stolen items.
    You may hit a snag as far as turning that IP address into a street address but you could maybe try contacting the company that holds the IP address and ask them if they have a formal process or something that you can begin in order to discover the street address, they may ignore you until they get an official request from a member of the garda.


  • #8
    wilkie2006
    Registered Users Posts: 1,053 ✭✭✭wilkie2006


    Woody_FX wrote: »
    Hi guys,

    Long story short, thief stole macbook from my house, I can see his IP address through various programs I have installed on the stolen computer everytime he turned it on. And he turned it on immediately after he stole it.

    Its a fixed IP address provided by a small local ISP.

    What would it take to get the name/address of the user who owns this account?

    Thanks,
    -W

    Fair fu@king play to you! How did you set that up? Hope you get it back soon :)


  • #9
    Yahew
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭Yahew


    Zambia wrote: »
    In hindsight they would have been a better use of time and money installing ... know for next time:)

    he had set up an IP tracker anyway. So this is moot.


  • #10
    Victor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,521 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Rulmeq wrote: »
    There's several, but they all need to be installed before it's stolen :(
    Can't some of these be installed after the device has been stolen? Talk to Apple.


  • #11
    Yahew
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭Yahew


    Find my Mac uses a reverse IP lookup anyway for macs - which are not able to lock onto gps indoors. I bet with the IP you can get the adress from some db somewhere.


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  • #12
    Sacksian
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,896 ✭✭✭Sacksian


    I use the "Hidden" app for security:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13624265


  • #13
    BrianD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,221 ✭✭✭BrianD


    Would really be interested in knowing the outcome of this!


  • #14
    murrayp4
    Registered Users Posts: 969 ✭✭✭murrayp4


    My ipod touch was stolen a couple of years ago along with a pair of sunglasses- about €400 worth of stuff in total- passed on the serial number and the IP address someone had accessed my gmail from to the Gardaí after it was taken.

    Bottom line was that absolutely nothing was done about it. So the OP shouldn't hold his breath.


  • #15
    theAwakening
    Registered Users Posts: 254 ✭✭theAwakening


    murrayp4 wrote: »
    My ipod touch was stolen a couple of years ago along with a pair of sunglasses- about €400 worth of stuff in total- passed on the serial number and the IP address someone had accessed my gmail from to the Gardaí after it was taken.

    Bottom line was that absolutely nothing was done about it. So the OP shouldn't hold his breath.

    How did you obtain the IP address?


  • #16
    aidan_walsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,208 ✭✭✭✭aidan_walsh


    theAwakening wrote: »
    How did you obtain the IP address?
    Some background.


  • #17
    Zambia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭Zambia


    Yahew wrote: »
    he had set up an IP tracker anyway. So this is moot.
    No its not believe me if you are going to the cops it is far better to show them the real time location of your property on a map than an IP address they have to look up.


  • #18
    Yahew
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭Yahew


    Zambia wrote: »
    No its not believe me if you are going to the cops it is far better to show them the real time location of your property on a map than an IP address they have to look up.

    He can reverse lookup


  • #19
    Kristopherus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,907 ✭✭✭✭Kristopherus


    murrayp4 wrote: »
    My ipod touch was stolen a couple of years ago along with a pair of sunglasses- about €400 worth of stuff in total- passed on the serial number and the IP address someone had accessed my gmail from to the Gardaí after it was taken.

    Bottom line was that absolutely nothing was done about it. So the OP shouldn't hold his breath.

    Go back to the cop shop that you were dealing with and ask them up front what did they do to find your goods. If you get no satisfaction there, writ to the Supt's office and make a complaint.


  • #20
    Zambia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭Zambia


    Yahew wrote: »
    He can reverse lookup
    Cheers but you are being very vague here.

    The OP said he has the IP address of the person who has his Mac. He did not say he has the address.

    What steps does he have to perform to do this reverse look up in order to achieve a real time location from this IP?


  • #21
    Yahew
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭Yahew


    Zambia wrote: »
    Cheers but you are being very vague here.

    The OP said he has the IP address of the person who has his Mac. He did not say he has the address.

    What steps does he have to perform to do this reverse look up in order to achieve a real time location from this IP?

    The reason why Find My Mac works is because an external IP address can give a location. That certainly works for me. There are tools to do this.

    http://www.ipchecking.com/?ip=17.0.0.1&check=Lookup

    17.0.0.1 is Apple cupertino.


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  • #22
    Yahew
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭Yahew


    Zambia wrote: »
    Cheers but you are being very vague here.

    The OP said he has the IP address of the person who has his Mac. He did not say he has the address.

    What steps does he have to perform to do this reverse look up in order to achieve a real time location from this IP?

    The reason why Find My Mac works is because an external IP address can give a location. That certainly works for me. There are tools to do this.

    http://www.ipchecking.com/?ip=17.0.0.1&check=Lookup

    17.0.0.1 is Apple cupertino.


  • #23
    aidan_walsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,208 ✭✭✭✭aidan_walsh


    Thats not the only way it works. It also works based on a database of nearby Wifi networks, similar to quick location services lookups on iOS and other mobile phones. An IP address alone will only lead you to where the ISP joins the internet, which could be another city entirely. As an example right now my IP address is showing that I am in Dublin, while I'm in Cork.


  • #24
    Yahew
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭Yahew


    aidan_walsh wrote: »
    Thats not the only way it works. It also works based on a database of nearby Wifi networks, similar to quick location services lookups on iOS and other mobile phones. An IP address alone will only lead you to where the ISP joins the internet, which could be another city entirely.

    Yes, but the police should be able to get that, should they not?


  • #25
    Zambia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭Zambia


    Yahew wrote: »
    The reason why Find My Mac works is because an external IP address can give a location. That certainly works for me. There are tools to do this.

    http://www.ipchecking.com/?ip=17.0.0.1&check=Lookup

    17.0.0.1 is Apple cupertino.
    Mate I have just looked up mine and it says I am in QLD which is a mere 1700km out. granted I am on a wireless 3g connection.

    OP don't post it but does the link provided give you a logical address?


  • #26
    Zambia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭Zambia


    Yahew wrote: »
    Yes, but the police should be able to get that, should they not?
    Yes they should but I know that iphone users (and other smart phones can be tracked) to an address or pretty bloody close.

    That is the app you want installed on your devices. Pretty powerful evidence so a cop can get a search warrant. However I don't know if a Computer has that ability because those apps may work off mobile networks or internal GPS locators


  • #27
    Yahew
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭Yahew


    Zambia wrote: »
    Mate I have just looked up mine and it says I am in QLD which is a mere 1700km out. granted I am on a wireless 3g connection.

    OP don't post it but does the link provided give you a logical address?

    1,700km seems mad. You need to put in your external IP, which is on that page ( top right). Is that what you did?


  • #28
    Yahew
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭Yahew


    Zambia wrote: »
    Yes they should but I know that iphone users (and other smart phones can be tracked) to an address or pretty bloody close.

    That is the app you want installed on your devices. Pretty powerful evidence so a cop can get a search warrant. However I don't know if a Computer has that ability because those apps may work off mobile networks or internal GPS locators

    No, find my Mac clearly doesnt. The Mac doesnt have a GPS and is indoors. So it uses some kind of IP locator. Maybe not as simple as I suggested, but the data is retrievable.


  • #29
    Zambia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭Zambia


    Yes that was the IP


  • #30
    Zambia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭Zambia


    Yes the police can ask the service provider.


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  • #31
    gsxr1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,167 ✭✭✭gsxr1


    is there a link to this app. For a windows laptop.


  • #32
    murrayp4
    Registered Users Posts: 969 ✭✭✭murrayp4


    theAwakening wrote: »
    How did you obtain the IP address?

    Whoever stole the ipod opened my gmail and accidently left a draft email with no content. You can look up what IPs the account was accessed from the last 10 times- an unusual IP address showed up at the time the draft was written


  • #33
    Chiparus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,283 ✭✭✭Chiparus


    Revenge of the nerd

    http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f03_1327071465

    if you do go down this route please keep us updated.


  • #34
    Jumpy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,606 ✭✭✭Jumpy


    Yahew wrote: »
    1,700km seems mad. You need to put in your external IP, which is on that page ( top right). Is that what you did?

    Sorry but that isnt how it works. An IP is taken from a pool provided by the ISP. Its going to tell you a general location as vague as the major city you are currently in. Sometimes not even that.

    An IP Address has zero bearing on your actual location.

    A PTR or Reverse Lookup will also only give you the name(s) assigned to your IP. Some ISPs dont even use it on some ranges. They are not required to.

    A court order would be required to match an IP to an account at the time and date that the OP spotted it. Outside this time and date it would be pointless as most ISPs use DHCP, which is an variable address assignment system. It changes based on how long the lease is to the device obtaining it.


  • #35
    Jumpy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,606 ✭✭✭Jumpy


    Sorry, I should have said "name(s) assigned by your ISP"


  • #36
    BrianD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,221 ✭✭✭BrianD


    It's time that the Gardai do take these matters more seriously than they would appear to be.

    If the IP address can be identified then in many cases it can point to the identity or location of the person who currently has possession of the device. If a thief left a phone number at the scene they would be onto that.

    Smart phones, laptops and tablets are now the items of choice for thieves. Generally, nobody breaks into a house to steal a €29 DVD player, an unwieldy large screen TV or a desktop PC. They want cash, jewellery or your portable electronic devices. Similarly, they are happy to hit you over the head for your smartphone. This type of crime will grow if the cops don't take action and they should be pursuing IP addresses etc.


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