I recently downloaded a file from a server identified by IP 0.0.0.0:0. Someone may explain to me shortly and in common language what is this? I mean which server is that? Is that a server or what? Thanks for any help.

Its not a valid address.  Its not identifying anything.   

CCNA, BCNE, Security+, Network +

Thanks for your answer, but then what I wonder is: where I downloaded that file from? and how can one make appear such an "address"? I mean: WHAT may be behind that number?

Perhaps you need to disclose more information.  Are you in a work network and downloading from a file server?  At home and downloading apps/music/movies/games from a non-familiar site?

What you are doing and where is important to figuring out what server it is and/or how to go about tracking it.  But as cisco concisely put it, that IP will get you nowhere.

"You don't know what you got, till it's gone..
80's hair band Cinderella or ode to data backups???"

Typically, the IP 0.0.0.0:0 would be used as a mask rather than a specific location, such as a mask for all addresses and ports.  You might use such a value in a firewall rule.  

Dr.B0b is correct, if you want detailed help in answering your question you will have to provide the information necessary to help you.
 

Thanks for your interest DrB0b,

   I'm downloading files (basically .pdf ,.exe and .mp3) with a p2p programme. Curiously some of the pdf (namely: Derrida's works, i.e. the most improbable) resulted containing spyware. At a point I started to sistematically check out the IPs, to see if an IP look-up site could give me clues, and in some cases I noticed that the files were coming from the IP I'm submitting to you here. Of course I didn't get any definite location or ISP from the internet; so I just keep wandering what can there be behind such number.

   Another curious thing is: some days ago I checked out one of those IPs, and a look-up site gave me out a blank answer, with no geographical map. Later with more research I found out that it was a server located in some undisclosed location, and it turned out to be the replacement of another one, which had been shut down.

   All this, and my lack of understanding of computer stuff, makes me think that it's perhaps better to use this programmes as least as possible.

   Thanks for your time.
S680

P2P programs are full of viruses and other nastiness.  Hope you have a good AV and active scan malware tracker like MSE and MBAM.  Look at the file size of what you are downloading, that wont help on every occasion but you should know general file sizes for certain things and if it states its way big or very small, dont download it.

P2P stands for Peer to Peer, which in turns means you are downloading parts of your files from other users or seeders.  I dont think you will be able to track viruses based on IP addresses since there will always be a new IP of which you file could be downloading from.  Best way to not get viruses is not to use P2P networks.

"You don't know what you got, till it's gone..
80's hair band Cinderella or ode to data backups???"

+1 DRbob

CCNA, BCNE, Security+, Network +

I think Noway2's answer is the one I was looking for. I don't think it's possible to dig any further in this subject, without using words I wouldn't understand, so thanks Noway2 for your reply.

Also thanks Drb0B for your tips.

The only time I have used 0.0.0.0 is when building a route to go everywhere. It sounds to me like someone is successfully masking their real IP so you can't back-trace it...

Jim

"If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have became a locksmith" Albert Einstein

NCSS  NCTS  NCTE
Mitel 3300 4.2 basic & advanced, 5000 4.0