Has Your Internet Provider Sold You A Dirty IP Address?

This is a great question to be asked, because the chances are real good you have a dirty IP Address. Lets define a dirty address. A dirty IP is an address that has been reported to the RBL or Blacklist for spamming or hacking violations. These black lists block a certain range of IP numbers within an IP number range and are much like a phone number but set in ranges. For example: the numbers ending from 01 – 99 get blocked, but number 67 is the actual violator. These ranges change every time you log on depending on your provider, issuing a new address, hence, a blacklisted block will occur, 01 – 99. Once on a Blacklist, security software will detect this range and block you from a website and possibly, like in my case my own site.


Our provider (Comcast) knowingly sold or rented a dirty IP address to us. The dirty IP did not show its uglyness till my server techs upgraded some security software that caught the IP address and box trapped it from accessing the site servers. As a business owner, this is more than just inconvenient, it is a loss of revenue and customer service. We send no spam so we where totally shocked when we found our IP on the Blacklist. We feel the service providers should not be able to resell or rent an IP till it has been cleared from the list. Think your IP is clean because you do not spam or hack? Better think again, and find a site that will run your IP against the blacklist like this site http://www.mxtoolbox.com/ that checks approx 147 lists. You need your IP to do the test. You can find out your IP by visiting http://www.whatsmyip.org/ . Your IP Address will show at the top of the screen and this is what you enter into the search to see if you are on a blacklist. I am hoping some tech guys can add more to this topic and give further insight and education.


What are your thoughts about this subject? Let us all know here with a response. Should The Providers be allowed to sell or rent dirty compromised IP's? We think it is a violation and is like getting sold a car that is a lemon or was totaled and sold as new. Time to send a message to these internet providers to clean up there act and IP's before releasing them to the public. We really want to hear from you and your thoughts on the subject.