how to limit downloading from a web site

[ffaucher]

I would like to limit the number of downloadings from my website. For example, 5 downloadings would be allowed. After that, a visitor would have to pay a contribution to download more. What program would permit that?

 

[dwarfthrower]

You'd need some sort of database to register users and keep track of how many downloads they had.

Although how you would stop people simply re-registering to your site with a different name and getting another five free downloads is going to be tricky.

 

[JavaStripped]

Re: dwarfthrower's foreseen problem:

I was thinking much the same thing. IP addresses are unreliable as a tracking mechanism, because 99% of ISPs use DHCP, and any knowledgeable user will just disconnect and reconnect after the DHCP lease has expired.

I'd like to do something similar on my site, except that instead of a maximum number of downloads, I want to prevent users from downloading and saving (in an offline-usable form) multimedia files that can be played on-site (esp. MPEG's and MP3's). Given the client-side-processing nature of HTML, I'm not at all sure how to do this... any ideas?

Thanks,



JavaStripped
"I did *not* escape. They gave me a day pass."

 

[dwarfthrower]

Short of developing your own file format and building an ActiveX component to play the files, which could then be on your site... not too many.

 

[JavaStripped]

I was afraid it would be that tricky. Thanks anyway.



JavaStripped
"I did *not* escape. They gave me a day pass."

 

[Rydel]

> I was afraid it would be that tricky.

Otherwise it's all in his cache, no matter how hard you try.

> IP addresses are unreliable as a tracking mechanism

Nowdays you use cookies for tracking users. Of course, it will not save you from the advanced users who undersand this (and will delete your cookie) but that will work for the vast majority of layman internet surfers.

HTH



regards,
rydel n23

http://pravapis.org/

http://rydel.net/

 

[xutopia]

ffaucher,

I believe what you want is a means by which you can track how many files someone can download from a set of downloadable files.

There are many ways you can achieve this but they will all require that you have user registration with username and password. From there it is easier to track people and store information regarding their username.

The way you can achieve this will depend on what server side language you will use. I'd recommend PHP myself if you are new to server side programming and the PHP forum can probably give you a hand getting up to speed.

I warn you though I don't think they'll have ready made script for you. Perhaps getting to your goal will entail learning the language first.

Gary

http://www.xutopia.com

Haran
==========================

 

[dwarfthrower]

Still, even requiring a usernameassword for a site doesn't stop Joe User from scubbing his cookies, getting a new IP address and signing up to the site under a different username.

The best bet would be for you to decide which five files were available for free download and keep the rest for members only. That way you still get to entice the users in with some free content, but you eliminate the problem of people signing up multiple times to clear their download counter.

 

[ffaucher]

Thanks for all those suggestions (database to register user, usernames, etc.) but they appear to be very tricky. What about a system where the Internet Service Provider (a CGI script?) would limit the number of downloadings?

 

[dwarfthrower]

Chances are, your ISP won't have a ready-built script that will do exactly what you need. So either you'd have to write it, or pay someone to write it for you. Even so, If you have twenty files available for download, there is no way to effectively stop someone knowledgeable from downloading more than five of them.