Is it possible to find a specific location with an IP address?

Question

Someone stole me computer 2 months ago and on it I had a program called last.fm. This program tracks the music a user listens to and puts up charts on a homepage. The person who stole my computer did not remove this program and the last.fm support people told me they can give me the last IP addresses that the person is using.

I am wondering if there is any way to find the person? I know that by myself I could only find the general location, but is there anyone out there with the kind of clearance to find a more specific location? Who should I go to? A lawyer? The police? the ISP?

Answer 1

http://cqcounter.com/whois/

Answer 2

I've heard of hackers being able to track where you are with your IP address, as well as cops who do online work. You may want to go down to the police station and ask there.

Answer 3

Its very easy to do. The old iPhone had a "locate me" option for the google maps program which worked like this... It connects to the internet via several means, either through wifi or through a cell tower via EDGE. It would then analyze the IP address of the connection, because each cell tower and each wifi router has a unique IP address that is differnt from all the others, all the program does then is it runs the IP through large database provided by ISPs that lists all know IPs along with their corresponding address. Once it finds the address it then searches for the address in google maps and marks the location.

Answer 4

You would need to involve the ISP that leases the IP address you have found. They would then want solid proof that it is indeed your laptop (give them the MAC address if you knew it), however without this, they are unlikely to take action as they cannot trace and track a device with only your word that it has been stolen.

You can find the ISP by running the IP through a public whois server (search Google). Contact them and explain your situation, they will inform you of their legal obligations.

Answer 5

I would suggest you contact the police as well as the ISP from the last known location and see what they can do. If you can provide the police with enough information they might just be able to get your computer back to you although I don't know in what condition or what might be on it now.

Answer 6

You can find a city using an ip address.

http://network-tools.com/

check look up, and put in the IP address, that should give you the city and state, and the ISP that the ip address belongs to.

If the thief is stupid enough not to uninstall the program, then there is a good chance they are stupid enough to use their home Internet.

I would then contact the local police, and tell them the details you found out, they can contact the ISP and give them the IP address and time and date, and the ISP should be able to give them a name and address.  The ISP however will not give out that infomation to you.  And if they do, they are breaking privacy laws.