Posted by Frank (64.213.201.1) on January 23, 2002 at 17:25:25:
In Reply to: WebTV IP numbers... posted by pinksharkmark on January 23, 2002 at 17:05:34:
Every Internet connection uses a special number called an IP address. The number looks like: 123.234.023.199. Most Internet providers give each user a UNIQUE IP ADDRESS for the entire dial-up connection. (It is a different one each time time you dial-in, but then it stays the same until you hang up.)
WebTv (and AOL) use something called a proxy-server. You are dialed into it and then it is talking to the Internet for you. It has a pool of IP addresses. When you make an Internet request, it goes through the proxy-server (which can pick any of it's many IP addresses); it makes the request for you; it sends you the result.
WebTV can give you 50 different IP addresses during one online session. It can also assign the same IP number to several users at once.