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

Links not updating
I'm trying to fuel a simple navigation system for a news section. It works fine when it comes to ret

All possible combinations of String in PL/SQL
Hi All,

Could you please explain the logic of getting all possible combinations of String

Posting to another Site?
I have software that people install.
When they install it, is there a way to make it post their d

need help in php variable
i have a php variable on one page
Code: [Select]$lastId = mysql_insert_id($db);
echo $lastId;<

Curly Bracket Delimeters.
I'd always believed that the starting and ending delimeters in preg_ functions had to be the same ch

insert mysql embeded videos as blobs?
Using TinyMCE my client will be able to embed images and flash videos into large columns of text whi

A little help needed passing hidden values to next page
I have a page that has hidden values in a form.

example
Code: <input name='signupID

Fatal error: Call to a member function fetchrow() on a non-object in C:xamppht
okay i have this query and everytime i add `item_id`=? to it... it gives me the error in the title..

Uploading Filetypes and placing them in seperate folders.
Hello,

first post , and asking for help im afraid. Very new to PHP, was making good progress

array empty
Hiya peeps,

Ok here is the codes.

order.php

Code: