Can a proxy server disguise as a mainstream internet provider?

Discussion in 'Site & Server Administration' started by popokolok, Jan 23, 2012.

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  1. #1
    Hello,

    I received some questionable traffic lately from a traffic campaign I bought, and while it all seems legit with JS enabled, correctly geo-targeted (USA), and from mainstream providers such as RoadRunner, ComCast, BellSouth, etc... I still see some strange behavior - so m y question is; can some advanced proxy server disguise (or otherwise perhaps steal) as a mainstream internet provider, while having the correct IP address and the correct cities and towns in which the particular provider indeed operates?
    And also I noticed that about 99.5% of the visitors do have something in common and that's usage of Internet Explorer as their browser, although versions 6 through 9. That's possible but kinda unlikely considering that Chrome and FireFox dominate a very large portion of the market...

    Update: Forgot to include; If not a proxy, then can a bot of some sort do all or some of the mentioned above?

    Any thoughts on that, please?

    Thank you!!
     
    popokolok, Jan 23, 2012 IP
  2. elicitservers

    elicitservers Peon

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    #2
    Yes someone could use a proxy server that is hosted on a normal ISP connection, and the IP will appear as such to you. In order to be used in a traffic campaign though, they must have one heck of a long proxy server list (to count as unique visits), and I'm assuming it would be automated in some way. I'm not saying you're receiving fake unique visitors/traffic, just letting you know that it is possible.
     
    elicitservers, Jan 23, 2012 IP
  3. popokolok

    popokolok Greenhorn

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    #3
    I see, thanks. But would it be possible at all to have 1,000's of proxy IP's on a single ISP, say RoadRunner? And about the browsers being used, is that a red flag, perhaps Adware? Thanks!
     
    popokolok, Jan 23, 2012 IP
  4. expertvm

    expertvm Peon

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    #4
    That's sounds pretty strange which most of your visitors are 99.5% IE browser. What I can suggest you is that you contact the ISP provider directly and ask them whether the IP you have is their proxy servers.

    Hope this helps...
     
    expertvm, Feb 7, 2012 IP
  5. GoldSEO

    GoldSEO Member

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    #5
    There are proxies that clearly show your actual IP, there are proxies that don't show your IP but the site you're connecting to can tell you're behind a proxy, there are proxies that hide your IP and that you're using a proxy, and there are proxies that even the proxy doesn't know who you are or that you're using it as a proxy.

    If you're getting a ton of connections from the same place, someone is pinging you for some reason...If it were me getting pinged, I'd make sure their seerver took a nap...Because it's a very small step from getting pinged to getting 50mb packets sent. Make sure no one has any sort of shell access to your server...your host included. I've had sites hacked by my host and I wrecked them when I discovered it. They refunded me :)
     
    GoldSEO, Feb 7, 2012 IP