SETI Finally Finds Something

[mugs]

Originally posted by: geecee

Originally posted by: Crafty35a
The router itself is basically assigned an IP address from the ISP. All internet traffic flows through that router, then is directed by the router wherever it needs to go within the home network. The PC's actual network IP address is irrelevant, because the router is communicating with the outside world via the IP address assigned to it from the ISP. The cops then presumably used that ISP address to attain an actual street address from the ISP. Hope that makes some sense, I may not have been very clear.

No, that part I also understand (but thanks 🙂 ). What I don't understand is how SETI received the laptop's actual, unique IP address. Whoever had possession of the laptop would have had to be using the unique IP address of the machine (for the whole world to see), for it to be identified, right? Otherwise, if it were behind a router, it would be the address of the router being sent out right? Isn't that the whole point of simple NAT firewalls? Again, I'm not a network tech, so I could have this completely wrong. 😕😱

Laptop reports the username of the SETI client on it when it downloads more data from the server. That gives them the IP address assigned by the ISP. ISP gives them the name/address of the person with that IP.

 

[Alone]

Quite right. When the laptop boots up, Seti (BOINC client) will load up automatically and start working. This will update the "computers on this account" page which contains all the information about the computer running the client.

 

[geecee]

Originally posted by: mugs
Laptop reports the username of the SETI client on it when it downloads more data from the server. That gives them the IP address assigned by the ISP. ISP gives them the name/address of the person with that IP.

Ah. So the laptop was ID'd by the username of the SETI client, and not the unique IP/MAC address of the the laptop's internal NIC. Now I see. 😛 Thanks.

EDIT: Spelling

 

[SZLiao214]

Lol that is great 🙂

 

[Frintin]

hehe

Great story..and a few great posts in this thread!

Did an alien steal it?

an illegal alien at best.

 

[everman]

the returned computer contained 20 tracks of rap music with unintelligible lyrics, possibly from the person who stole the computer or bought it on the underground.

"It's really, really horrid rap," Melin said. "It makes Ludacris look like Pavarotti."