Networkin - Pls help

[janieh]

Hi:

I'd like to implement a user authentication function which allows one username/pwd to be used from one computer only.

For example, when a client registers with our application, I'd like to get their MAC or their computer unique information, so that next time they log in, I want to make sure that they log in from the computer that they register, not others. I want to make sure that they don't share their username/pwd to anyone else to use.

Your help is much appreciated.

Janie

[Roger_Ramjet]

Is this application being run on a LAN/WAN ? It does not sound like it when you talk about 'clients registering'.

[janieh]

This will run on internet.

[maxpup979]

understand that mac addy, IP, and other identifying information can be spoofed pretty easily. If your only contact with the users system is through a web page they visit, then odds are this probably wont work terribly well. If at all

[Roger_Ramjet]

MAC does not apply except in a LAN - it is the hard-coded serial no of a network card. Even in a WAN you could not use it cos of routers etc.

IP addies are often dynamic and shared. Proxies may be used either by the owner or their ISP, so IP is not going to work.

2 possibilities left Cookies, or windows registry - and both can be spoofed - or deleted by the user in all innocence.

Best you can hope to do is to trap multiple concurrent logins. Blocking on multiple IPs is just going to disrupt valid users behind a proxy or on a LAN.

Tough isn't it 🆒

[janieh]

Hi Roger,

How do I write to windows registry when they register? I'm pretty new to PHP, not sure how it works exactly. Thanks for your help.

Janie

[thorpe]

How do I write to windows registry when they register?

you dont. php works on the server. best you can do is store a cookie on the client, and check that against a corrisponding entry in your database.