How do Google track client device information

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I want to develop a login portal which will have one specialty- keeping record of the client device information for security purpose. It should be similar to what google team do for gmail. When we login to gmail account with a new device, we get a mail from gmail team regarding whether we have bought a new device. How does google gets info of my device? Is it by tracking my Mac address (which I think is not much reliable since mac address can be changed)?

What I have tried:

The furthest I have gone is keeping record of the Ip address of the client.

Posted 15-Oct-17 4:03am

Member 13466155

Updated 15-Oct-17 4:24am

Chris Maunder772.9K

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OriginalGriff · Answer 1 · 2017-10-15T04:24:00

Solution 1

Without asking them - and I doubt if they would tell you - we can't tell.

But... it won't be MAC address (they are only unique within a LAN / WiFi segment, not globally, and very easy to spoof) And it won't be IP address (they change when you power cycle the router most of the time, and aren't linked to a device anyway, but to the router itself).

The way I'd do it? Cookies or equivalent ...

Posted 15-Oct-17 4:24am

OriginalGriff

Comments

F-ES Sitecore 15-Oct-17 10:32am

It might also tap into the headers or user agent.

OriginalGriff 15-Oct-17 11:03am

Loads of things it could do!
User agent doesn't tell you much of any real use though:
https://www.whoishostingthis.com/tools/user-agent/
It doesn't identify my desktop as separate from the WookieTab for example, except for having different screen resolution, and it changes every time Chrome updates (which seems like daily sometimes).