Question:
How to tell if 2 emails with different IP addresses came from the same computer?
2010-12-24 19:45:20 UTC
I have 2 email headers of emails sent from a hotmail account to a hotmail account. The sender email address is different for both emails and so is the IP address. Is there another way to determine if the emails came from the same computer? Is there any other info in the headers that would help identify the sending computer? Are there any law enforcement or private investigation tools to determine if it is the same computer? Thanks!
Five answers:
centsless
2010-12-24 20:05:42 UTC
Guess I don't understand what you are getting at. Both the email addresses are different, and the IP addresses are different and you are asking if it's possible that one computer or one person sent both emails.



It's the ISP that determines the IP address, not the computer. Computers are connected to the internet either through a wifi server, or a modem. It's the server or the modem that gets assigned the IP address. In a home or business network situation computers have individual IP addresses, that allows multiple computers to use one network ISP through a hub or router. The IP address you see on an email is the IP address of the ISP servicing that account. The ISP can give you the physical address location of the computer that sent the email, but you would need a court order to see that information.



If the person had a laptop, he could send one email from one location, say his home, then go to his buddies house, hook into his internet service and log into a different email account and send the email again. In this case, both the email and IP addresses would be different.



He could send one email from home, go to his buddies house, and use his buddies computer, log into a different email account and send the email again. In this case, both email and IP addresses would be different
Miha L
2010-12-26 01:57:17 UTC
Use email trackers to see what they will show you regarding IP location:

http://www.ipaddresslocation.org/email-tracking/email-header.php

http://www.find-ip-address.org/email-search/find-email.php



If both show you same location and IP address fall into same IP ranges from same ISP then is chance very big that it is from same person.



Good luck!
2010-12-24 19:48:12 UTC
Not unless there's a computer name as the sending address.



Law enforcement? Of course - if it justifies getting search warrants (which means a serious felony was committed).
?
2010-12-24 19:46:42 UTC
Two dif. IP address definitely means two dif. computers.
2010-12-24 19:46:44 UTC
put those two computers side by side and decide yourself.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
Loading...