unique computer identification

[Goose]

I would like to figure out a way of checking whether a specific computer is back from a previous visit. I don't want to store cookies because a user can clear that information out. I thought about obtaining the clients mac address, but that isn't something the browser passes to the website (at least from what I can tell) so that isn't an option.

Basically is there a way, in PHP, that I can uniquely identify any client that visists my web page?

Thanks in advance.

[adamwhiles]

I think your only options are:

Cookies - Like you said they can delete
IP Address - Some are dynamic

I think your only option is to have them login

[Goose]

Thanks for the reply, but I am currently having the user login. I just want the site to also remember if they are logging in from another computer or not.

[Orio]

It's a problem...
In one of the scripts I use the combination of a cookie+IP. So if the IP was used before or if there's a cookie set, that means it was used. But it's easy to mess up with.

Orio.

[Goose]

All right. How do websites get my fully qualified domain name? Can that be done through PHP?

An example of a fully qualified domain name might be shiela.red.shapes.com where shiela is the computer name, red is the sub domain and shapes is the domain name.

[redarrow]

I do cisco networking everyday and the only option is an ip nothink else sorry.


A mac address throw the http is inpossable unless you provide the user with a dedecated softwere to
dynamickly send the mac to you if you wanted this option your have to look at java or c++.

but a mac address can also be changed ok.

[Goose]

I know for a fact that sites grab my fully qualified domain without me installing anything.

[redarrow]

[!--quoteo(post=388217:date=Jun 26 2006, 09:26 PM:name=Goose)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Goose @ Jun 26 2006, 09:26 PM) [snapback]388217[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
I know for a fact that sites grab my fully qualified domain without me installing anything.
[/quote]

A fully qualified domain name is on the sever that provides
the domain name service throw there dns servers.





I think i got the ansaw not sure theo.

What about storeing the session id in the database then lock that id to that user i

think if the user uses another computer the id session will chage therefore your know there

on another computer.



I dont know if this could work. But i think somthink like this well enable you to cheek if the user
is the user logged in via that session id on there computer,
and if the user logs in via a diffrent computer iam sure that a diffrent session id will be made therefore
your know that the user is on a diffrent computer.

Your have to look up session in database ok.

[code]

<?php

// Initialize the session

session_start(  );

// a page that processes a login

  $orderUrl = "/login.php?PHPSESSID=" . session_id(  );
?>

<a href="<?=$login ?>">login</a>


The sesion that has been made to login the user insert into database called session_id ect ect .......

PHPSESSID=be20081806199800da22e24081964000



<?php
  // Initialize the session
  session_start(  );
?>

<a href="/login.php?<?=SID?>">login</a>

[/code]

[Goose]

Thanks for all your input everyone. I have ended up doing what I didn't want to do in the first place. However, it is the right solution and it does what I set out to do anyway.

Thanks again!