what is a revers IP lookup?

[Frosty]

What exactly is a reverse nameserver IP lookup and why would anyone want to do that?

I saw someone ask that question in a forum before, but nobody ever answered that persons question so i never found out the answer to it either.

Isn`t a reverse IP lookup something that is done if you want to check to see if a host is a reseller or not? And don`t you need access to raw log files in order to do something like this?

[JTY]

Reverse ip lookup, is when you translate an ip into a hostname...

many times it's used as a form of identification....

[akashik]

yes, it's not something you'd personally do everyday but it is handy for things like statistics. Instead of a collection of meaningless numbers you have a collection of ISP's etc

Greg Moore

[Mr Chunder]

Its very useful for tracking down hackers and other trouble makers if you have an IP address.

A simple form of reverse lookup is when you type:

ping -a <ip address>

This will give a full domain name, or perhaps, the name of the DSL server used by a telecoms company if someone is coming through a DSL or dial-up route. You can use this information to trace an offender to a telecoms company where you can complain about their activity (should it be necessary of course ! ;))

Very Often, people set themselves up anonymously so their IP address does not map to a domain name. Instead, you should use traceroute program to determine the nearest ISP to the offender.