Can an Internet provider tell which computer downloaded what?

[AlucardNatasrd]

Use a proxy?

 

[Basil**]

So we received this email at work, just wondering if I should keep downloading or if they can actually find what computer specifically is doing the downloading.

"Please also be advised that there have been serious downloading copyright infringements happening at our schools. Our research shows these have been staff and not students. As this is a breaking of the law, and puts the schools reputation and liability in jeopardy, as well as reducing band width for school services and student learning; this is considered a serious issue. As such, those involved in this will be dealt with under the employee discipline process from this point onwards."

Should I be scared?

Sounds like a warning. As such, on a go forward basis maybe stop and you'll be ok.

 

[j98]

I think so, every computer has a unique mac address which can be easily traced to a specific computer.

 

[BillBlueski]

Lol. What the Fuck have you been downloading. And why are you doing it at your place of employment?

IT will be able to track who is using the bandwidth. Lol.

Start polishing up your resume.

And stop polishing your knob - at work.

 

[Gus Fring]

The flavor of the week for the Mayberry is "Workplace Internet Abuse".

 

[fightingrabbit]

Wasn't there just a thread about getting caught for watching porn at work.

 

[Matt M]

I used to be an office manager and some of the girls computers I couldn't see, but I knew that if someone was on a website it would slow down the whole system which was very frustrating.

So I sent out a similar email to that, basically saying our IT department was tracking internet use and anyone who was using it for personal use during work hours would be called up on it.
Absolute nonsense of course, I didn't even speak to IT about it.

I'm sure IT can find out who's looking at what but i'm sure they have better things to do.

 

[Prime Yossarian]

Just use incognito mode. You will be untraceable.

Source:

Spoiler

I am 4chan

 

[blackdudebro]

Insults TS for being stupid.

Spells 'You're' wrong...

Win!

 

[Goonerview]

This guys will know

This. TS, be honest, we know it's you

 

[Count Zero]

If you were in trouble you would just be in trouble, not getting a vague warning.

Obvious response is to download even more porn at work

 

[carebear**]

I'm pretty sure mine has several.

Dude! We talked about this. You promised not to tell!

 

[Adamant]

So we received this email at work, just wondering if I should keep downloading or if they can actually find what computer specifically is doing the downloading.

"Please also be advised that there have been serious downloading copyright infringements happening at our schools. Our research shows these have been staff and not students. As this is a breaking of the law, and puts the schools reputation and liability in jeopardy, as well as reducing band width for school services and student learning; this is considered a serious issue. As such, those involved in this will be dealt with under the employee discipline process from this point onwards."

Should I be scared?

You should use the incogneto option. And always clear your history since the beginning.

 

[Madmick]

You should use the incogneto option. And always clear your history since the beginning.

You don't compile a history in Incognito. Furthermore, this would do nothing to prevent his network administrators from tracing his activity. Also, there are dozens of other ways that an IT guy could use to figure out where you've been surfing by plying your browser app data and user data.

I saw two posters mention the MAC address. As one poster noted, his ISP may not have access to his unique MAC address (rather the modem MAC address, and probably the router's, too). Even so, that isn't what he's worried about. He isn't worried about the ISP. These warnings are part of the CAS (Copyright Alert System) implemented by six major ISP's in the USA (the correlative in the UK is the VCAP). The CAS is almost entirely toothless, and in reality is effectively so. The VCAP is entirely toothless. You can read more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Alert_System

He's worried about his bosses/school/parents not understanding this, and if it is the one of the first two, then they might look into the matter via their network administrators. These guys will trace the offending computer within the local network. They can connect his MAC address to his physical location/device because they control the router, and (with the help of the ISP, most likely) should be able to access logs of activity on each of these.

 

[BobSappIsMyDad]

Just use incognito mode. You will be untraceable.

Source:

Spoiler

I am 4chan

 

[pinkybrief]

Delete system32.

lmao I did that on my windows xp days 512 ram 1.3 ghz

 

[Joe Mama]

Go back to playing your online games son...

Your network admins are much more apt to overlook something like that, than something threatening our network.