php new bie Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 hello, a noob Q but i appreciate anyone help me i wondered which info can PHP get from user .. i figured out those of global variable $_SERVER like .. IP adress , Remote host name ,useragent .. etc so what can i get also from php if i want to improve the log and cookie system of any web application thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackpf Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 http://tw2.php.net/reserved.variables.server There's a list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
php new bie Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 thanks, i know this .. i just ask if there is any other php methods to gather information like this to get more info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackpf Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Why would you want another method when there's a precompiled variable that already contains all this information? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axeia Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I think the idea behind it is that you have everything in one spot. print_r( $_SERVER ); Can greatly help in helping to understand all the information as you'll get an instant example of what everything at the very least may contain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
php new bie Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 i'm sorry if i don't clarify what i want .. so, i know this variable and use it ... and get information ... this step DONE ! now any other methods to get information like .. hard drive serial .. MAC address , computer name .. etc (another type of information not in the variable $_SERVER ) .. something more specific and unique to each user Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackpf Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Well, I don't know of any web browsers that offer hard drive serial numbers. You'd have to use an active-x control or something. Although I don't really see why you'd need to get someone's harddrive details... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
php new bie Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 i don't need a hard serial number as it.. i need something specific and unique for each user other than supplied by $_SERVER variable so what can i do with this ? the value will be encrypted and placen in cookies to be checked each visit also to detect cheating users .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackpf Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 What's wrong with an IP address? Combined with their user agent string possibly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ignace Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 You can not get such information like a MAC address from PHP at a minimum you can get it's ip or his ip when he is using a proxy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gevans Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 You could use $_ENV and get the COMPUTERNAME and PROCESSOR_REVISION. Two random things like taht mixed with an ip? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkSuperHero Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 You could use $_ENV and get the COMPUTERNAME and PROCESSOR_REVISION. Two random things like taht mixed with an ip? doesnt that return the servers COMPUTERNAME and PROCESSOR_REVISION ? http://tw2.php.net/manual/en/reserved.variables.environment.php (ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES ?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gevans Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 You could use $_ENV and get the COMPUTERNAME and PROCESSOR_REVISION. Two random things like taht mixed with an ip? doesnt that return the servers COMPUTERNAME and PROCESSOR_REVISION ? http://tw2.php.net/manual/en/reserved.variables.environment.php (ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES ?) Well, that's embaressing. I thought I was being a genius when I was looking at my phpinfo(), ignore me, please ignore me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken2k7 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 i'm sorry if i don't clarify what i want .. so, i know this variable and use it ... and get information ... this step DONE ! now any other methods to get information like .. hard drive serial .. MAC address , computer name .. etc (another type of information not in the variable $_SERVER ) .. something more specific and unique to each user Nope! PHP resides in the server so even if you could get those, you'll be getting the specs of your server hard drive, MAC address etc. If you want that to grab the user's computer specs, I find that very invasive. I probably would avoid your site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
php new bie Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 What's wrong with an IP address? Combined with their user agent string possibly. simple modem restart and user agent switcher plugin in FF can override this . You can not get such information like a MAC address from PHP at a minimum you can get it's ip or his ip when he is using a proxy yes i googled and got that php is a server side lang .. i'm sorry if i don't clarify what i want .. so, i know this variable and use it ... and get information ... this step DONE ! now any other methods to get information like .. hard drive serial .. MAC address , computer name .. etc (another type of information not in the variable $_SERVER ) .. something more specific and unique to each user Nope! PHP resides in the server so even if you could get those, you'll be getting the specs of your server hard drive, MAC address etc. If you want that to grab the user's computer specs, I find that very invasive. I probably would avoid your site. ken, any website is based on TRUST between the web application and returning visitors .. some ppl you need to ban them and they are just annoying u change their ips .. user agents have tons of membership ? so what can you do if you were me ! i need to improve my system to raise the security and privacy and ensure there is only one member has one account ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackpf Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 What if two people use the same PC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
php new bie Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 thats based on abuse, i just want to discover that so i start this topic then baning their accounts based on the harm or abuse they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken2k7 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 ken, any website is based on TRUST between the web application and returning visitors .. some ppl you need to ban them and they are just annoying u change their ips .. user agents have tons of membership ? so what can you do if you were me ! i need to improve my system to raise the security and privacy and ensure there is only one member has one account ! To be honest, you need to have some consent form to which no one will agree on. By taking those information, you're invading the user's privacy. Honestly, I won't consent to you just taking my MAC address. You should know by now that in the online world, TRUST means nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackpf Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Two people using the same pc is abuse? Lol, that must mean that my entire school is a bunch of abusers considering they're all using the same IP address through the school's proxy server Just use an IP address. I don't know of any site that does more than that. As long as email addresses have to be unique, you're pretty safe. Someone's got to make a new email address for every account they make that way. If they're up for that they must have a lot of spare time, or hate your site pretty bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gevans Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Someone's got to make a new email address for every account they make that way. What about catch-all boxes. Any domain I own can have an unlimited number of email boxes. I can create one that will catch everything sent to that domain. Example; admin@domain.com -> made by me as a catch all a@domain.com -> sent to admin@domain.com b@domain.com -> sent to admin@domain.com d7sds8dg@domain.com -> sent to admin@domain.com Very easy to re-register with a website if they only check email addresses, IP is fairly easy to change as well. (I don't have a solution here though, never had a huge problem with users) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackpf Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Well you can't be sure if someone doesn't have two accounts short of requiring a DNA sample upon registering. Even with your suggested methods which sound impossible, they could still own two, three four pc's. I think in the end, you just have to rely on the fact that making multiple accounts is pretty pointless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
php new bie Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 yes ken , sure updating site policy will be changed thats if i found any solution. Two people using the same pc is abuse? Lol, that must mean that my entire school is a bunch of abusers considering they're all using the same IP address through the school's proxy server Just use an IP address. I don't know of any site that does more than that. As long as email addresses have to be unique, you're pretty safe. Someone's got to make a new email address for every account they make that way. If they're up for that they must have a lot of spare time, or hate your site pretty bad. lol, i don't say two ppl using the same pc is abuse.I said based on the harm and abuse they do , if i start new topic in any boatd and have 2 accounts and then start to use the both in same thread and replying on my self and some of that infant mind do !! banning based on that you're sure that these accounts from the same PC and have some kind of similar pc info. and about schools , sure any webmaster will take that in his consideration Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackpf Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Well, if you record user's IP addresses, and notice some schizophrenic talking to himself on different accounts in your forum then yes, by all means, you can probably deduce that he has multiple accounts I'm just not sure what else you can do. I don't think there even is anything else you can do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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