They only expose approximate, not precise, locations, so they shouldn’t be a risk like GPS that exposes precise locations?

  • teslasaur@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Your ip is the identity of your router.

    By using simple tools you can find the manufacturer of your router and potentially use a known security to gain access to your network.

    You expose yourself to being targeted by focused network attacks, since they know the address belongs to you.

    In ye olden days, it would have been possible to track your ip and what it was accessing online. Its harder to do today due to cryptography and vpn’s, but still a risk.

    • nao@sh.itjust.works
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      2 days ago

      Are you maybe thinking of MAC addresses? That would be closer being the “identity” of a device and you can typically identify the manufacturer from it. You can’t see the MAC address of a remote router via the internet though unless you are on its local network.

      An IP address is usually a temporary lease provided by your ISP, and residential connections usually get a new one every once in a while (like every 24 hours).

    • shalafi@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      What?! You need the MAC to identify a router and MACs don’t go over the internet.

      it would have been possible to track your ip and what it was accessing online

      I’ll let you go ahead and explain that one.

      • credo@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Maybe if you open a browser to it and external management is allowed, it might say linksys?