RiceBadger wrote: ↑Thu Sep 29, 2022 7:01 pm
Really ? I presume this would not apply to users who always post from the same computer from home. If I remember correctly, my home IP address did not change even when my box broke down and was replaced. It would change only if I changed internet providers.
A dedicated IP on residential connection is pretty rare even if it's not guaranteed. Along with the higher upload speeds it's the primary difference between a residential and business service. Also note the same IP can be used form multiple users, if for example they were in an office building, campus etc. That said it's seems pretty common to me for someone in the US to have the IP for months or even years. I know my home IP rarely changes.
The most reliable way I have found to determine duplicate accounts is using the server access logs. Open the access log with notepad++ and go to search, open the mark tab. Bookmark the lines the IP appears and then remove the unmarked lines which will leave you with just a list of the activity from that IP(s). You will often see a pattern of posting, logging out, logging in, page requests etc. even if it's two different IP's. You have to be careful with this but if the pattern seems illogical for two different people then it probably is.
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Attributed - Thomas Edison