is this real or is it some kind of a trick?

[tinahr]

Ive been tracking a certain visitor to my site (long story heh) and ive noticed they log on with the same IP every day, however their OS and browser seems to flip from Windows XP IE6, to Windows 98, to Firefox to Mac OS Safari... etc. We're talking two views seconds after another, from the same IP, with a different browser and/or OS.

Now how can that be? Are there perhaps programs out there that could do that in order to mask their identity?

I must also note I have googled their IP and since google spits out a load of "proxy list" websites, I suspect the IP in question is also a proxy... could they be masking their browser and OS as well as IP?

[KLB]

Do a whois of the IP address. Based on what you have said, I would suspect that it is a proxy server that is spoofing browser/OS information. I personally ban such IP addresses when they start abusing my sites.

[tinahr]

Do a whois of the IP address. Based on what you have said, I would suspect that it is a proxy server that is spoofing browser/OS information. I personally ban such IP addresses when they start abusing my sites.

yeah i did, it resolves to NTL internet, UK... I googled the IP to see if I can find if the person maybe posted in some forum or guestbook that leaves IPs public, but what I found was a bunch of sites listing that IP as a proxy, so it would be a proxy then.

Ok anyway thanks for clearing up that it's possible to fake OS and browser info....

Oh yeah another question though! Is it possible for the same person to appear with one IP in the server logs and another IP in forum logs?

[KLB]

Oh yeah another question though! Is it possible for the same person to appear with one IP in the server logs and another IP in forum logs?
Not for the same request. AFAIK