Ask A Geek

Q: My office runs a service that identifies the IP address of hits on our website. One of my jobs is to discern a half dozen regular clients who hit us all the time for maintenance and reference from actual business hits. How can I figure out the IP address of the clients?

A: The easiest solution is to have the user go to WhatIsMyIp.com and then have them give your their IP address. Then you can use that IP to match them up. This is a great service because anyone, technical or not, can easily go to the site and see their IP address and then copy it into an email to send to you.

Q: This may be a little beyond the normal framework here, but I’m not on any technical bulletin boards and I couldn’t think of anywhere else to turn. My office runs a service that identifies the IP address of hits on our website.

One of my jobs is to discern a half dozen regular clients who hit us all the time for maintenance and reference from actual business hits.

Here’s my question. We’re in DC. I keep getting one hit that is pool-00-00-000-000.washdc.fios.verizon.net. The hits time pretty well to a customer in San Diego California. I’ve even had the guy there hit our server and that was the closest hit. The thing is that it says Washington DC and they are in San Diego.

My Verizon Wireless card maps to New York, so I know a Verizon service can show another city. But across the whole country? Is that remotely possible? Anybody know enough about FIOS to say?

Q: How do you hide your IP address and your e-mail account when sending an e-mail?