Internet Info: Is It a New Experience for Each User?

[Gear300]

All of the data one has relative to the Internet, such as passwords/usernames to sites, bookmarks, history, and all the so forth are stored on the computer, right? Therefore, if another user uses the same internet connection line (port, router, etc...) with another computer (his/her own computer), then the Internet to this user will be a new experience with no signs of previous activity, right?

 

[chroot]

Yes, that's correct, unless the two computers communicate directly with each other in some fashion (this is not common).

- Warren

 

[Gear300]

I see...many thanks for your fast reply.

 

[junglebeast]

Yes, that's correct, unless the two computers communicate directly with each other in some fashion (this is not common).

- Warren

For the most part yes, but I don't believe that's not entirely correct. Some exceptions would be NAT and server-side caching, not to mention reduced bandwidth due to both computers being active, or active throttling form your ISP due to traffic patterns they don't like.

 

[chroot]

Well, yes, junglebeast, but most casual users would not notice things like that. He was only concerned about browser state.

- Warren

 

[Gear300]

For the most part yes, but I don't believe that's not entirely correct. Some exceptions would be NAT and server-side caching, not to mention reduced bandwidth due to both computers being active, or active throttling form your ISP due to traffic patterns they don't like.

I'm not too literate about this, but all this is if you're networked with the computer on a more direct level than the internet, right?

 

[Evo]

I'm not too literate about this, but all this is if you're networked with the computer on a more direct level than the internet, right?

Yes, the two computers would have to be networked together and allowed to access each other's information in order to share the information off of each other's computer.

For instance, when my daughter comes over and she connects her laptop to my ethernet cable and connects to my internet connection, she has zero access to any information on my computer. She cannot see where I've been, she has no access to my browsing history, nor my passwords, nothing.

 

[junglebeast]

I'm not too literate about this, but all this is if you're networked with the computer on a more direct level than the internet, right?

When you use 1 internet subscription to connect multiple computers to the internet, by definition these computers are networked on a more direct level than just "the internet." They are linked together by a router and have a shared IP address to the outside world, where they are viewed as 1 entity.

Yes, the two computers would have to be networked together and allowed to access each other's information in order to share the information off of each other's computer.

For instance, when my daughter comes over and she connects her laptop to my ethernet cable and connects to my internet connection, she has zero access to any information on my computer. She cannot see where I've been, she has no access to my browsing history, nor my passwords, nothing.

No Evo, the things I listed do not require you to enable any kind of sharing or "home network" setup...although it is true that you cannot just access your browsing history and stuff, this is not what Gear's question was in reply to.

Also, I should note that there are exploits now in the wild which can allow arbitrary websites to read your browsing history. This was on Slashdot a few weeks ago.

Back to the original question, I think you were being intentionally vague..and this has caused answers to be vague. If you are worried about someone else in your house discovering that you've been looking at porn, for example, this is not something you need to worry about unless they get into your computer. However, in regards to your more general question, "will the internet experience be completely unaffected with no signs of previous activity," the answer is not always yes.

 

[cf8]

If you are worried about someone else in your house discovering that you've been looking at porn, for example, this is not something you need to worry about unless they get into your computer.

Unless, that "someone else" knows how to view the logs on the router configuration page (not hard to do), or if, for some odd reason or another, you shared an online account from a service that would keep records of this; Google is the main one I'm thinking of, X-Marks would have that possibility, too.

That said, it is not guaranteed that they will be able to see your history by sharing one of the above accounts, but they might be able to, depending on the circumstances.