Do Multiple Users Share IPs? Spammers?

I have been cleaning up my forum and eliminating bots and multiple source users but I am curious and confused:

1. You do a search for a particular user's IP in the VB CP that you suspect is a spammer and it comes up with many users that use that IP address,

Does that always mean that it is the same person or source using multiple accounts then?

2. I use the tool, Spam Decimator and if I activate it on a post or thread and it shows me other users that are connected with that particular user, does it mean they are all from the same source and I should ban them all related to?

I am trying to get specific on how to find multiple users using the forum for spam and advertising and other.

Anyone??

Thanks for a reply in advance!

Most users on internet uses dynamic ip's which means their ip adress will change everytime they disconnect from internet. Thats why people can share same ip from time to time.

Originally Posted by Mert Gökçeimam

Most users on internet uses dynamic ip's which means their ip adress will change everytime they disconnect from internet. Thats why people can share same ip from time to time.

Ouch!!

How do you know 100% then if a user is using multiple accounts then?

Well I also use that recommended tool, Prevent Spam as a precaution but is that a trustworthy tool then if different users may share the same IP?

Same with the Spam Decimator?

I am totally confused on that.

Originally Posted by LinkHunter

Ouch!!

How do you know 100% then if a user is using multiple accounts then?

Well I also use that recommended tool, Prevent Spam as a precaution but is that a trustworthy tool then if different users may share the same IP?

Same with the Spam Decimator?

I am totally confused on that.

It is a good idea to look at users who have the same IP and see if they have spammed in the past if so then I would also block them, but just because they have used the same IP as a spammer once doesn't mean they ARE a spammer.

People using a Proxy could show as the same IP same as those on large networks... So for example one person may send a load of spam while they are at work, but you wouldn't want to block the other 20 people that work there from viewing your forum unless they are spamming also just look at a few of their posts and decide if you think it is spam, if so use the Decimator and destroy all of their posts and block them ...

Cezz

This will throw a spanner in the works. If I ban one ip in Spain, I can ban a whole town or area. The way a lot of our internet works here, is multiple users share one ip due to the system we use to get the internet.
We dont have normal telephone or cable connections.
We use a wireless system that connects via central computer giving all users on that internet service company, one ip.

Originally Posted by Lee G

This will throw a spanner in the works. If I ban one ip in Spain, I can ban a whole town or area. The way a lot of our internet works here, is multiple users share one ip due to the system we use to get the internet.
We dont have normal telephone or cable connections.
We use a wireless system that connects via central computer giving all users on that internet service company, one ip.

I never considered that one.

I don't see anyway to determine multiple users then.

I guess I would just have to go from user to user as they post but the problem is that many don't even post but rather just PM members and use the homepage link to distribute the Spam.

Hmmmm...

Originally Posted by LinkHunter

I never considered that one.

I don't see anyway to determine multiple users then.

I guess I would just have to go from user to user as they post but the problem is that many don't even post but rather just PM members and use the homepage link to distribute the Spam.

Hmmmm...

This would be the use of creating a Greenhorn group, the user will have to post x number of posts before they can PM or set a Homepage URL, normally you can tell by the quality of their threads if they are really genuine, if they just post 15 messages saying "Thanks.. Good Post" then I would be suspicious.

Plus rely on your real members to report those spamming via PM it will take a while but you should be able to clear all the spammers.

Originally Posted by Ceri May

This would be the use of creating a Greenhorn group, the user will have to post x number of posts before they can PM or set a Homepage URL, normally you can tell by the quality of their threads if they are really genuine, if they just post 15 messages saying "Thanks.. Good Post" then I would be suspicious.

Plus rely on your real members to report those spamming via PM it will take a while but you should be able to clear all the spammers.

It sounds good but I don't understand that totally,

VB says that you cannot change the default usergroup (registered users) to a different usergroup per say for new registrants so I don't know how to do that exactly.

The concept sounds good...

Can you explain how to do that?

Thanks for your reply!

You restrict the permissions of the Default group, then set up a promotion to a New group, one that would have the permissions of the Default one.

I showed you how to do it already in the "what countries do you ban" thread. It's in production on all 5 of my forums, and probably 100 more people here have considered it. it works. Ignore vB hating