Tracing Where Someone Is When Skyping Or Similar

[torrenova]

If I have a skype conversation (or MSN or Yahoo etc.), video or non video, can I find out where they are ?

If I wanted their IP address to identify their location how would I find it out ?

Is there any other way to find out where someone is ?

Nothing sinister and no, not a cheating partner, just would be a useful tool, other than asking them to type something into a browser and give me their IP address.

[schmutzie]

If I have a skype conversation (or MSN or Yahoo etc.), video or non video, can I find out where they are ?

If I wanted their IP address to identify their location how would I find it out ?

Is there any other way to find out where someone is ?

Nothing sinister and no, not a cheating partner, just would be a useful tool, other than asking them to type something into a browser and give me their IP address.

I don't know any. But why do you need to?

If you're attempting to come up with some mind-boggling social app, it sounds like you need to hook up with more experienced people. Other than that, you sound like a bad case of mistrust.

Anyway, would suggest you have a look at some SDK's - or maybe ask on a app specific forum (eg. Skype/MSN/Yahoo)

Edited July 15, 2009 by schmutzie

[kotsak]

I usually check the remote connection IP address for the application in question. You need an application that can show you the active connections on your PC per application, for example TCPView (google it).

After you get the IP/host from the list, you can find it's geolocation..

Cheers..

[webfact]

It is not that easy as it sounds. If you have a firewall which can resolve ip addresses (e.g. Online Armor) you can view open/active connections.

Sometimes Skype shows up in there but only in that very moment you have an active chat running with someone. That may give you a hint where your counterpart is be located. But wait - I chat with friends in Canada on a regular base

and Skype routing is shown as Taiwan or Hong Kong. In the case of Skype you can check a users profile which may give you some ideas if these profiles are honest. If you read in a profile "New York" it can mean "Lagos, Nigeria"...

Even with an IP address on hand I doubt you can track the origin of a person conducting a chat.

[nikster]

An app like Little Snitch would tell you exactly where your incoming / outgoing connections are going - so that would also give you the IP address of the person you are talking to. You'd have to wade through the logs though, and identify the server IPs etc.

Packet sniffers do the same thing. Not going to be too convenient though.

Other than that you could try to find an open source messenger client which logs everything... not sure there are any but conceivably it could be done. The im client certainly knows the other's IP because it's a direct client to client connection.

If I'd be talking to you I'd be using meebo though

Edit: Once you have the IP you can geo-locate it. That part is pretty straightforward and generally relatively accurate, e.g. town and city will probably be correct.

Edited July 15, 2009 by nikster

[DaveBKK]

I believe Skype uses a peer to peer transfer protocol, so you never actually connect to the machine of the person you're speaking to.

You're only connecting to the "peer" who is passing the traffic to you, and that's the only IP address you'd see.

[Prasert]

DaveBKK is correct - most of the time everything in skype is relayed, during filetransfers this shows up as well.

Many cybercrime units would love the answer to the OP question as well - sofar they have not been able to trace skype calls, nor eavesdrop them.

[croftrobin]

Edit: Once you have the IP you can geo-locate it. That part is pretty straightforward and generally relatively accurate, e.g. town and city will probably be correct.

Its wrong on both TOT and CAT as it shows me as bing in BKK whan i'm actually 360 km away.

So geo-locatation is not accurate at all.