[hugh]

YouHaveDownloaded is a site that supposedly tracks Torrent downloads by IP address. Goto the site at and it will tell what files have been downloaded to your IP address.

The site claims to have over 52 million IP addresses in its database.

 

[ssbtech]

Oh that's great.

Let me dig up an email from a friend, dig out the originating IP address and see everything he's downloaded

 

[Pinza]

Perfect, I am in the clear.

 

[AFF]

Hi. We have no records on you.

Good thing there is way better ways to download stuff we shouldn`t.

 

[John Koenig]

How conforting. I'm in the clear. But people in the 6x.000.000.000 aren't that lucky.

 

[CamDAB]

For those with a static IP, this works.

But most use an internet service that dynamically allocates IP addresses which change from time to time.

So... an ISP reallocates an IP to you that previously had a download history of torrent usage....

This needs more thought....

The only true way is to tie an IP to a MAC address... And I suspect that most ISP's don't show the MAC address to the outside... But I'm not sure...

Cameron

 

[hugh]

Interesting. Typed in some "corporate IP addresses"

Shaw Nationally

Bell Satellite

Rogers Head Office

 

[JamesK]

And I suspect that most ISP's don't show the MAC address to the outside... But I'm not sure...

With Rogers, your host name is based on your firewall & modem MAC addresses, so all it takes is a host look up of the IP address to find the host name & MAC addresses. They also use DHCP, but the IP address changes so seldom that it's virtually static.

BTW, I wound up with a new IP address and host name last week, because a NIC in my firewall died. Using a different NIC gave me a different MAC address and, in turn, new IP & host name. While I'm not in the habit of using torrents, I have no idea about any previous user of my IP address.

 

[sleemo]

For those with a static IP, this works.

But most use an internet service that dynamically allocates IP addresses which change from time to time.
<snip>

Cameron

From the comments on the site:

we don't bother ourselves to separate dynamic IPs. The site is just for show. However we have time-stamps. 3.3.3.3 might be a dynamic IP - however it belonged to a certain person at 12:12am 12/12/2011. Besides DHT allows us to get a user's machine fingerprint. So even if it's a dormitory...

 

[onemomentplease]

Well looks like someone at rogers is out of a job at christmas time.

 

[57]

I tracked a "friend" and see that he downloaded one movie in December. I'm guessing he was just checking to see if the tracker actually worked for this article...

 

[hugh]

Well looks like someone at rogers is out of a job at christmas time.

I just wonder if they are limited to 80 kbps upload.

††† Rogers Hi Speed Internet (delivered over cable) and Portable Internet from Rogers currently manages upstream peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing applications speed to a maximum of 80 kbps per customer. This policy is maintained at all times. For information on Rogers Internet traffic management practices and Legal Disclosure click here.

FWIW, what I can't understand is how Rogers, the company which throttles P2P applications and using Deep Packet Inspection for years, allows torrenting at its own Head offices?

 

[brownstar]

I would question the sites validity and accuracy

 

[hugh]

brownstar, that was Camdab's point earlier.

As noted, it really doesn't account well for dynamic IP addresses hence it can't be used for anyone using DSL and many cable IP addresses. It should work though for static IP addresses such as those for Bell, Rogers and Shaw Corporate since they never change.

 

[jshel101]

I have downloaded from torrents in the past 6 months and when I enter in my address, it comes back saying it is all clear. Maybe my external IP has changed since the last time i used it.

 

[scrooloose]

I checked two that I know have downloaded, and was given the all clear. So it's definitely not all knowing.

-Mike

 

[hugh]

The site apparently only covers a percentage (they say 20%) of downloads so its possible activity at your IP address has not been logged.

 

[Danster]

I just wonder if they are limited to 80 kbps upload.



FWIW, what I can't understand is how Rogers, the company which throttles P2P applications and using Deep Packet Inspection for years, allows torrenting at its own Head offices?

If you look at what they downloaded, maybe that's where they get the shows that they end up playing on their cable systems!

 

[CamDAB]

And if I'm not mistaken.....

You can always do a "release" and "renew of lease" from your router...

That wouldn't stop the ISP from logging activity, but *might* keep the "window" small enough to not show up on some of these third party monitor sites..

Just a guess...

Cameron

 

[CamDAB]

Danster, it's well known in the movie industry that there are specific "versions" of movies, with well documented "edit points" that are distributed to specific geographic areas.

When a "copy" or in the case of a "print" is in question, all it needs is a check against the edit log the studios have and it can be determined where it originated from, be it a print / copy destined for a movie house or a DVD rip.

This info is somewhat "oldish", but I suspect it's practice is probably still done.

Now, with electronic means being employed to distribute content, I'm not surprised by the Rogers download, except that I would have thought that it would have been done over something encrypted and possibly not so easily intercepted...

Cameron