Strange cookie problem. setcookie dependant on where user was directed from?

Posted on 16th Feb 2014 07:03 pm by admin

Hello,

I have a website that sets a cookie when a user visits the website. The cookie holds an ID number that I have decided to refer to Computer Identification Number (CIN) that is unique for every user. The idea is to be able to identify a computer with the CIN even if the IP changes.

This is the code I use. What it does is that it first checks whether a visitor is an admin. Every admin pc has the admin cookie called 'admin'. If the user is not an admin, the script checks if cookies of the user is enabled and reloads the page to check. If cookies are on, it checks if the user has been here before, by checking if cookie called tp_visitor is set, if it isnt, the script sets a new tp_visitor. The tp_visitor contains the unique ID number {CIN} ). Each visit, the script writes to a database and logs the CIN, IP and timestamp:

Code: <?php
$connection = connect(); //CONNECTS TO MYSQL
if (empty($_COOKIE['admin']) ) { //COMPUTERS WITH COOKIE: 'ADMIN' ARE ADMINS, AND SHOULD NOT BE COUNTED
if (isset($_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'])) {
$ref = $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'];
}

// CHECKS IF USER HAS COOKIE BY FIRST SETTING ONE THEN RELOADING THE SAME PAGE TO CHECK IF THE COOKIE WAS SET
if ( ! isset( $_GET['entry'] ) ) {
setcookie('enabled', 'test', (time() + (60*60*24*365*5)));
header('location: ' . $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] . '?entry=1&' . SID);
}

else {
//IF COOKIE WAS SET
if (!empty($_COOKIE['enabled'])) {
//IF COOKIE TP_VISITOR IS NOT SET (THE USER IS HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME)
if ( !isset( $_COOKIE['tp_visitor'] ) ) {
$new_cin = 'SELECT COUNT(*) FROM kingoslo.cin';
$resultat = mysql_query($new_cin, $connection);
$new_cin = mysql_result($resultat,0);
$new_cin = $new_cin + 1;
setcookie('tp_visitor', $new_cin, (time() +(60*60*24*365*5)) );
$cookie = 'INSERT INTO kingoslo.cinlog (cin, tid, ip, referanse) VALUES ("' . $new_cin . '", "' . time() . '", "' . getenv("REMOTE_ADDR") . '", "' . $ref . '")';
$new_cin = 'INSERT INTO kingoslo.cin (cin, visits, epost) VALUES ("' . $new_cin . '", 0, 0)';
mysql_query($cookie, $connection);
mysql_query($new_cin, $connection);
}

//IF COOKIE TP_VISITOR IS SET (THE USER IS NOT HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME)
else {
$no_cookie = 'INSERT INTO kingoslo.cinlog (cin, tid, ip, referanse) VALUES ("' . $_COOKIE['tp_visitor'] . '", "' . time() . '", "' . getenv("REMOTE_ADDR") . '", "' . $ref . '")';
mysql_query($no_cookie, $connection);
setcookie('tp_visitor', $_COOKIE['tp_visitor'], (time() +(60*60*24*365*5)) );
}
}
else { //IF COOKIES WAS DISABLED
$no_cookie = 'INSERT INTO kingoslo.cinlog (cin, tid, ip, referanse) VALUES ("COOKIE_DISABLED", "' . time() . '", "' . getenv("REMOTE_ADDR") . '", "' . $ref . '")';
mysql_query($no_cookie, $connection);
}
}
}
close($connection); //CLOSES CONNECTION
?>
Now what is the problem?

Well it seems that when I visit this script, it will sometimes create a new CIN and cookie called tp_visitor even if the user has been on the website before! This seems to happen more frequently when I am directed from different sources, i.e. if I am first directed from a link on Google, then type in the URL of the website in the next attempt.

I was wondering what this may be the result of. I think it is very strange

Thanks

Your Answer:

Login to answer

Other forums

PHP Mysql Staff Induction System
Hi there, I'm pretty new to PHP and Mysql so could really do with being pointed in the right directi

From Header Showing 'Unkown' In Hotmail? Why?
Code: $to = $row_GetID['email_addr'].',sales@mywebaddress.co.uk';
$subject = 'Thank you for you

Session login issue
I'm wondering how to fix a problem I'm having with a session-based login system

Say I go to h

PHP not creating file.
Its supposed to create a .ini file in the /scriptfiles/users/ with the name they entered into the fi

Users and Groups with PHP Classes
Hi,

I have setup what I hope to be a good working User class. Now I want to introduce group m

search function
HI guys,

if anyone could point us in the right direction of how to do this, or provide some t

The page should be expire when cilck back button
hi,
i'm new to php world.
i create user registration page.
when i submit it,data goes to my

Calculus Help (and by help I mean homework)
Hrmmm, I hate posting about math homework, partly because it's homework, and partly because I hate w

Scheduler problems related to execution of a single BLT by many schedules
Hello all,

We are running several MII instances in a distibuted architecture using a sing

insert/update functions for mysql, what do you think?
I am working on two really simple functions that automatically generate (and execute) insert and upd