how to limit downloads per user per session ??

rogie

hello,
i'm looking for a php script which can checks the downloads and only allows 1 per user at a time per host,
in order to prevent the same visitor downloading all mp3 files at the same time, so that the downloads are limited to 1 download per user per session.
i'm not a php developer, so any help will be highly appreciatred as people with download accelerators and lack of respect are actually defacing my site.

thanks in advance

sarahk

If you look at alot of sites when you go to click away you seem to be clicking on a link at the site but you go to the other site, or get the download etc.

Your site could be just the same.

Here's a script I use:

<?
$path = '/www/virtual/mysite/htdocs/';
//add to the stats counter because I want to track click aways
require "{$path}stats/include/stats_main.inc";
$stats = new init(true, "{$path}stats/"); 


switch($id)
{
  case 'nzpif':
    $url = 'http://www.nzpif.org.nz/';
	break;
  case 'petition':
    $url = 'http://www.apia.org.nz/img/ARCPetition.pdf';
	break;
  case 'aking':
    $url = 'http://www.propertyinvestor.info/arc.php';
	break;
}
if (isset($url)) header("Location: $url"); 

// don't include end, since we don't want to show page, we want to move to it

?>

Now, in your case the $url would be the name of the MP3. And since you will have alot the code which is passed in would probably relate to an id in your database which would hold the real file name.

Plus, at the beginning, where I add to my statistics package you check the session flag and if they've downloaded then $url would be your reject page.

I hope this gives you something to get started with. Post any code you need comments on.

rogie

sorry, but i cannot see how this script can limit to one single download per each single user, maybe it's too far from my possibilities.

let's say i have a list of mp3 files:

file mp3 no.1
file mp3 no.2
and so on for hundreds...

all these files are on the same page accessible to all visitors, each unique visitor that comes to that page should be able to download/stream no more than 1 or max. 2 mp3 files at time, on each visit/session.
i thought about something with cookies and sessions but i'm not a code developer, just learning.

pls can you explain to me if i misunderstood your code, i have tested it but couldn't find out how it should work for such purposes,

thanks a lot

sarahk

just roughly, and using phpv3 syntax (ok in 4)

put the code below into a script called dload.php

and call using

<a href='/dload.php?id=beatlesdemo'>Beatles Demo</a>

<?
global $HTTP_SESSION_VARS; 
session_start();

//new visitor
if (!isset($HTTP_SESSION_VARS['dload_cnt'])) 
    $HTTP_SESSION_VARS['dload_cnt'] = 0;

//check to see how many they have had
if ($HTTP_SESSION_VARS['dload_cnt'] >= 2)
  $url = 'reject.php';
else
{
  //ok to get the url for the requested download
  switch($id) 
  { 
  case 'beatlesdemo': 
    $url = '/dloads/mp3/beatlesdemo.mp3'; 
    break; 
  case 'splitenzdemo': 
    $url = '/dloads/mp3/splitenzdemo.mp3'; 
    break; 
  } 
  $HTTP_SESSION_VARS['dload_cnt']++;
}

if (isset($url)) header("Location: $url");  

  // don't include end, since we don't want to show page, we want to move to it 
?>

rogie

Thanks Sarahk

the script is fine and i can see it should do the trick, anyway i have to check my apache mod bandwidth, i don't remember if i have it already installed on my box, if yes, do you believe it could cause some conflict with the script ?

in effect the third dowload (having limited to 2 download on dload.php) starts with same user session and i'm not directed to reject.php
do you believe it could depends on php vers. ? i do run php 4.0.6

sarahk

it's not a version problem. your path to reject php may not be right.