Broadband Tech > Virtual Private Networking > IP/ISP in hotel??

IP/ISP in hotel??

Short answer is basically Yes, because all devices have a distinct IP address and a unique MAC address.

The ISP can only tell what router/modem the traffic is coming through. The hotel networks that I have worked on, were all setup so that the network monitoring team had the ability to trace activity down to the IP it originated from, and to the room or AP. It doesn't mean they do, but they could. Each device attached to the network has it's own private IP address. The networks are usually NAT'ed behind one or a few public IP's.

Thanks for your fast answer.
You can tell that I am new to this and am very confused.
If I am understanding you correctly, then if a room is changed then the other room would show a different private IP address and my identity there could be compromised, since I rented the room?
Now how about if downloading can be done from the pool or Starbucks...could I be identified from there...and would it matter since it is a temporary location and I would only be there for a short time. thanks again

reply to billaustin
Thanks for your fast answer.
You can tell that I am new to this and am very confused.
If I am understanding you correctly, then if a room is changed then the other room would show a different private IP address and my identity there could be compromised, since I rented the room?
Now how about if downloading can be done from the pool or Starbucks...could I be identified from there...and would it matter since it is a temporary location and I would only be there for a short time. thanks again

It all depends on the layout and design of the network, and how the monitoring is setup. Once you connect to a specific network, it learns your MAC address. The DHCP server will usually continue to assign you the same IP address while connected to the network. The monitoring software can tell where you are based on the AP or switch port that your IP is pulling the traffic across.

Places like Starbucks usually have one router feeding a couple AP's. They log your IP and MAC address, and have the ability to track where you go on the web. You are anonymous, unless you make yourself known or someone is seeking you out. Your MAC address is like a fingerprint that you leave behind where-ever you go.

reply to mred

Hellfire...I think you misunderstood the whole post. I was not thinking about downloading anything illegal...I would be downloading business info and business files and would not want any info compromised....I am trying to find out what privacy I have on the net.
But you have peaked my curiosity...How could anyone get arrested spending 20 minutes in Starbucks? Someone just robbed a bank in my town last week and the police still have not caught him.

To download office documents you don't want compromised while using a public access feed you have a couple of things to consider.

Any files not encrypted or sent over an encrypted tunnel are open for anyone to view them who knows how and has access to the same public access site.

If you plan to do this quite a bit you need to get with your IT department, if you have one, and set up a VPN tunnel system at work. That way you would log into the open network or hotel room link and then start a VPN session back to your work network. That link would then be encrypted from your PC all the way to your company's VPN portal. People wanting to see your data would only be able to look at the encrypted tunnel info and not the actual data.

I use OpenVPN software ( »openvpn.net/ ) to access files on my home server from anywhere my laptop can hook into the internet. No worries about people being able to access the data since the link that gets established to my server is encrypted.

True, some public access locations can and will block the encrypted data stream but locations that know how or feel the need to block it are few in my area.

reply to mred
Was wondering where your question was leading to mred...