DISCUSSION: Banning accounts based solely on having same IP address; points of view

With the way network security is set up, attempting to ban solely on multiple accounts coming from the same IP is fundamentally flawed.

For sake of argument I will use an example of the network we have set up when doing small LAN parties: The network consists of the router/modem supplied by our ISP which broadcasts our IP address. Sitting behind their router/modem is our primary router/modem for the main network controlled by the network mainframe. Behind that sits 3 other routers. Each router/modem has a hardware firmware firewall protection bolstered by a software firewall on each PC. Attached to each router is "X" number of devices. Yet to the outside world, even if all devices are on & connecting out to the internet, they all show up as a single IP address as detected by the majority of commercially available software. Can this be overcome to separate bots, clones, & cheats using this security protection? Yes, it is possible... and can be both time & financially consuming to do so.

Now, this is a small scale example, a friend of mine is an IT Specialist that handles the mainframe network for a college in the State he lives in. To protect students, each floor of each building throughout the college has a single IP address assigned to it & each device connected under it is assigned an individual IP address so that the network can separate it's traffic coming & going from it's respective router while maintaining a singular IP address presentation to the internet for all devices connected to it. Theoretically, there could be dozens & dozens of people connected to the same website all logged in from the same IP address under this security format.

For the reasons explained herein above, the concept of being able to prove evidence for fair banning of accounts based solely on IP addresses is a task that involves more work than most people realized. To others here that are tech savvy, I'm preaching to the choir. To those reading this & taking advantage of it to cheat, you're just sitting back & smiling... just remember: if Kano wants to, they probably have the means of making you turn that smile upside down & detecting your abusive fraudulent use of their service.

Finally comes the rub that I see many have opinion of - banning everyone that does it would kill the game because certain central/long standing players are the core that keeps the games running with their financial support. If you bite the hand that feeds you, you'll eventually starve to death. To that end, many will contest (justly or unjustly as the case may be) that certain accounts will be considered & others completely ignored. I have no grounds to make an opinion on this & will leave that to speculation. However, it would have been remiss of me not to include it in the base of the discussion I'm sure this post may bring.

 

Like we don't already know that tech savy players can stay under the radar, I hear them boast about it all the time, and it is amazing that people cheat at these games or any games , a cheat is a dishonest person and I for one want them gone.

 

I am in full agreement with you on this.

Of the 4 people I share our house with, 2 of us play the Kano games full time. Both of us place MW, VC, & PC on Kongregate, but only I play it on Kanoplay Server2. In fact, he started playing them on Kongregate before I did & was the one who told me first about them launching there. Now, when we have problems getting daily gamer points, we play off each other when we need to the same as so many do except we log in from the same IP & thus why I'm opening the discussion. Players like us who share an IP legitimately worry about getting a ban because either he or I will see that we are running short on time to get our daily GPs (in one or more) of the games, walk over & knock on the others' door & ask them to login so we can get out points before the end of the day, & at that moment be "detected" as trying to cheat in the game.

At the same time, I see members in the syndicates/guilds/armadas I'm in drop friends to get the points & add them back after it's done in a similar fashion - just not with the misfortune of having the same IP when doing it.

That would then lend itself to the concept of 1 person being able to use multiple accounts by using separate devices each with it's own IP address yet be in the same physical location.

 

Is your buddy still pranking you? Sounds like it.

 

lol you crack me up man

 

If people live under the same roof then the ip address will be the same and it is fine with me. But where people are not living under the same roof, then as far as i see it they are either, using alts, or sharing accounts. In both cases the account/s and main account/s should be disabled permenantly. No if's, no but's, just gone !

 

ok im new here! let me see if I get this right! just because I have the same ip address as my dad does! him or I could get banned from playing or both? he hardly plays anymore except now and then. just jumps on to show me some tips to building a character. I really don't see a big issue with this whole ip address thing. Just don't cheat and let honest players play, even if in same household like my situation! I really like this game, don't know about the others apps yet. most likely will play them also someday. would hate getting banned for something stupid.