Blocking cookie not blocking my IP address

[donner]

This is a continuing problem and one that apparently can't be fixed. As of a few minutes ago, according to Stat Counter, my visits were not being logged. But they are and have been.

In the past I have been able to stop the logging/counting of my IP address by going to the tools (or whatever the wrench logo stands for), clicking on "Log my visits" then resetting the blocking cookie. But this doesn't get rid of those already counted nor does it stay that way.

I currently have a membership for which I pay $25.00 per quarter for additional capacity but since that additional capacity being counted is full of my own visits I see no reason to renew it.

[webado]

The blocking cookie does not block IP addresses. The IP address block is set from the project settings and is not dependent on cookies at all, but you need a fixed IP. If you have theblocking cookie, then when you visit you will not be logged. But your browser must:

1) allow the cookie to be set in the first place by Statcounter (as a first aprty cookie)
2) keep the cookie, not delete it by any process (e.g. anti-spyware progam)
3) allow the cookie to be read subsequently (it will be a third party cookies, some security settings in teh browser and anti-spyware programs block third party cookies)


Furthermore cookies are only valid on the pc and in the browser where they were set. If you use a different browser or computer from the ones used to set the cookie initially, you need to set the blocking cookie there too.

[donner]

1) allow the cookie to be set in the first place by Statcounter (as a first aprty cookie)
2) keep the cookie, not delete it by any process (e.g. anti-spyware progam)

I just checked--my browser does have the "blocking" cookie from statcounter.com. It is set to be active until it expires.

[Car Guy]

I normally use IP blocking, but since your post I've turned that off and and now use a blocking cookie.

In Firefox I have no problems.

In Internet Explorer 8 at first it would not accept a cookie. My visits were tracked. I deleted all cookies from the toolbar menu and recreated the blocking cookie and tried again, still tracked my visits. I used Explorer and located the temp directory and deleted the cookies manually and recreated the blocking cookie. Now it works? I don't know what to tell you. If you are using IE it just doesn't like to work WITH you.

[webado]

Originally Posted by donner

I just checked--my browser does have the "blocking" cookie from statcounter.com. It is set to be active until it expires.

Ye, you may well have the cookie set from the statcounter.com site when you are logged into your SC account. At that point it is a FIRST party cookie.

But later when you visit your pages the SC script is checking fro the existence of that cookie and that is where it is THIRD party cookie (because the first party is your site, whereas the SC script runs and it looks for a cookie set by Statcounter.com, thus a third party).

It is very typical for browser security settings to block third party cookies from being accessed or created. Anti-spyware programs also block this.

So even though the cookie is there (from when it was set originally, as a first party cookie), the browser will not give it to the SC script (because it needs to give it as a third party cookie, which it may be set to block), so SC will believe there is no cookie, so it will log your hits.

[donner]

As of this morning when I checked my IP address was still being logged.

I have changed my browser cookie options to "accept third party cookies" and to "ask me every time" for expiration.

Question for Car Guy, who wrote:

I normally use IP blocking, but since your post I've turned that off and and now use a blocking cookie.

In Firefox I have no problems.

I have been using Firefox--version 3.0.1.4 running now. Does the above fit what you had to do? It seems a bit cumbersome if it means getting cookie requests and having to turn them down from many of the web pages I visit, if that is what that configuration will do.

Or am I missing an easy way around this?

Many thanks for everyone's help so far. I like Statcounter and the $25.00 per quarter for the upgraded account is a good enough deal but not if I have to deny cookies every time I click to another site (or even a page within a site).

Not sure if the above makes sense.

[Car Guy]

I'm using the same version of FF.

With all browsers the options are many for how cookies are handled. I'm not paranoid and I don't have my browser security settings jacked up. I like to be able to surf without being asked to allow this or that. Of course I have some common sense settings in place.

I've had no problems with either browser handling cookies, however I do often go though the cookies and delete them manually. Maybe that's why I don't have cookie issues.

[donner]

Having messed about with cookie settings (and having temporarily screwed my access to a couple of sites) I am going with the "allow third party cookies" and "until they expire" settings which seem to be the most permissive I can find.

If it works I won't bug you anymore--actually if it doesn't work I won't either since I have gotten more than my money's worth of help on this problem and I don't want to spend any more time on it.

[webado]

You have to allow third party cookies/

[howard]

Did someone mention FIFO on the cookies? One of my browsers seems to give up the Statcounter blocking cookie sooner than the others. There is a limit to the number of cookies a given browser can keep track of, and first in first out on the overflow.

IP blocking works if you have a fixed IP for a specific computer. Most of us using dsl or cable modems have floating IP addresses, reassigned periodically by our ISP.