Recording Visitor Stats

[Spence]

My web site is built using ASP.NET, the host supporting .NET 3.5, SQL
Server Express and Access.

I want to start collecting some visitor stats, in particular OS and
Browser used, pages visited, length of time on each page, screen size,
browser window size and IP address.

I'm hoping that this session information is available via the .NET
framework. Can someone point me in the right direction please.

Thanks.

--
Spence
Computing Services - because IT needn't be difficult
http://www.compservonline.co.uk/

[Alexey Smirnov]

On Sep 17, 12:06*am, Spence <spencelayhathotmaildotcomwrote:

My web site is built using ASP.NET, the host supporting .NET 3.5, SQL
Server Express and Access.

I want to start collecting some visitor stats, in particular OS and
Browser used, pages visited, length of time on each page, screen size,
browser window size and IP address.

I'm hoping that this session information is available via the .NET
framework. Can someone point me in the right direction please.

Thanks.

--
Spence
Computing Services - because IT needn't be difficulthttp://www.compservonline.co.uk/

Take a look at the following link http://codeave.com/asp/svr_variables.asp

This is what your server application could get from the client

1. OS and Browser used - HTTP_USER_AGENT
2. page visited - SCRIPT_NAME
3. IP address - REMOTE_HOST

all this values are available in the Request.ServerVariables object

you can't get length of time on each page, screen size, and browser
window size on the server, you need to use a client javascript
instead.

Also, there are many free third party tools for this, for example,
http://www.google.com/analytics/ All what you need is to include a
javascript code to your pages and it will allow your Google Analytics
account to track your visitors.

[Spence]

In article <3b8ad81d-bb7d-4abc-8e84-
d1**********@2g2000hsn.googlegroups.com>, Alexey Smirnov wrote:

Thanks Alexey.

Take a look at the following link http://codeave.com/asp/svr variables.asp

Need an underscore between svr and variables but got there after a couple of
tries.

This is what your server application could get from the client

1. OS and Browser used - HTTP USER AGENT
2. page visited - SCRIPT NAME
3. IP address - REMOTE HOST

all this values are available in the Request.ServerVariables object

Just what I needed. Thanks.

you can't get length of time on each page, screen size, and browser
window size on the server, you need to use a client javascript
instead.

OK, will look at that.

Also, there are many free third party tools for this, for example,
http://www.google.com/analytics/ All what you need is to include a
javascript code to your pages and it will allow your Google Analytics
account to track your visitors.

I have Google Analytics on the page but find it too cumbersome to find what
I want. Ideally I just want a table of data with the date, time and the
other parameters I mentioned which I can put into a database and do my own
analysis.

--
Spence
Computing Services - because IT needn't be difficult
http://www.compservonline.co.uk/

[Mark Rae [MVP]]

"Spence" <spencelayhathotmaildotcomwrote in message
news:VA******************@a100-049-vista.tridentsystems.local...

>This is what your server application could get from the client

1. OS and Browser used - HTTP USER AGENT
2. page visited - SCRIPT NAME
3. IP address - REMOTE HOST

all this values are available in the Request.ServerVariables object

Just what I needed. Thanks.

Bear in mind, though, that 1) and 3) above cannot be relied upon at all...
--
Mark Rae
ASP.NET MVP
http://www.markrae.net

[Alexey Smirnov]

On Sep 17, 10:47*am, Spence <spencelayhathotmaildotcomwrote:

In article <3b8ad81d-bb7d-4abc-8e84-

[e-mail]>, Alexey Smirnov wrote:

Thanks Alexey.

Take a look at the following linkhttp://codeave.com/asp/svrvariables.asp

Need an underscore between svr and variables but got there after a coupleof
tries.

This is what your server application could get from the client

1. OS and Browser used - HTTP USER AGENT
2. page visited - SCRIPT NAME
3. IP address - REMOTE HOST

all this values are available in the Request.ServerVariables object

Just what I needed. Thanks.

you can't get length of time on each page, screen size, and browser
window size on the server, you need to use a client javascript
instead.

OK, will look at that.

Also, there are many free third party tools for this, for example,
http://www.google.com/analytics/All what you need is to include a
javascript code to your pages and it will allow your Google Analytics
account to track your visitors.

I have Google Analytics on the page but find it too cumbersome to find what
I want. Ideally I just want a table of data with the date, time and the
other parameters I mentioned which I can put into a database and do my own
analysis.

--
Spence
Computing Services - because IT needn't be difficulthttp://www.compservonline.co.uk/

If it's your own server and you have an access to IIS log you can
obtain all 3 items from the IIS log.

Note, as Mark already mentioned 1) and 3) cannot be 100% relied
because of proxies and user agent spoofing. Some browsers such as
Firefox and Opera have functions to send a false User-Agent string.
And REMOTE_ADDR is the address of the remote host making the request,
and if you make a request from behind a proxy you will get an address
of the proxy.

[Spence]

In article <6e4ef12c-71d0-4438-aff6-
ec**********@x35g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>, Alexey Smirnov wrote:

If it's your own server and you have an access to IIS log you can
obtain all 3 items from the IIS log.

Unfortunately not, it's shared hosting.

Note, as Mark already mentioned 1) and 3) cannot be 100% relied
because of proxies and user agent spoofing. Some browsers such as
Firefox and Opera have functions to send a false User-Agent string.

I'm aware of that, but as it's mostly corporate visitors I'm interested
in, I think it's less likely. A risk I'm happy to take, as it's mainly
out of curiosity.

And REMOTE ADDR is the address of the remote host making the request,
and if you make a request from behind a proxy you will get an address
of the proxy.

Reasons to get this info is to exclude my own IP and to check for
repeat visitors. I know if 100 people from one company visit my site
I'll probably see that as one IP, but that has to be better than seeing
visitors with addresses of 192.168.x.y etc.

Thanks for your comments.

--
Spence
Computing Services - because IT needn't be difficult
http://www.compservonline.co.uk/

[Spence]

In article <eI**************@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl>, Mark Rae [MVP] wrote:

1. OS and Browser used - HTTP USER AGENT
2. page visited - SCRIPT NAME
3. IP address - REMOTE HOST

--- Snip ---<

Just what I needed. Thanks.

Bear in mind, though, that 1) and 3) above cannot be relied upon at all...

I know the Browser can be told to report itself as something different to
what it is, but is there an issue with the OS?

My reason for wanting the IP address is to exclude me from the stats and
also to check on repeat visitors. Most people visiting my site that I want
to monitor are likely businesses with a fixed (block of) IP address(es). Is
there something else I'm not aware of that allows IP address spoofing?

Thanks.

--
Spence
Computing Services - because IT needn't be difficult
http://www.compservonline.co.uk/

[Alexey Smirnov]

On Sep 18, 11:45*am, Spence <spencelayhathotmaildotcomwrote:

Reasons to get this info is to exclude my own IP and to check for
repeat visitors. I know if 100 people from one company visit my site
I'll probably see that as one IP, but that has to be better than seeing
visitors with addresses of 192.168.x.y etc.

Actually, all this can be done with Google Analytics too. Go to
Analytics Settings, click Edit in the Website Profiles and add a
filter for your IP address. This filter will forever exclude all
visits from you. Returned visitors could be found in the Visitors
section. For example, in Hostnames you can find particular host and
number of visits. That report could be also used to exclude your own
host.

[Mark Rae [MVP]]

"Spence" <spencelayhathotmaildotcomwrote in message
news:VA******************@a100-049-vista.tridentsystems.local...

In article <eI**************@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl>, Mark Rae [MVP] wrote:

>1. OS and Browser used - HTTP USER AGENT
2. page visited - SCRIPT NAME
3. IP address - REMOTE HOST

--- Snip ---<

Just what I needed. Thanks.

Bear in mind, though, that 1) and 3) above cannot be relied upon at
all...

I know the Browser can be told to report itself as something different to
what it is, but is there an issue with the OS?

Any of the headers can be spoofed...

My reason for wanting the IP address is to exclude me from the stats and
also to check on repeat visitors. Most people visiting my site that I want
to monitor are likely businesses with a fixed (block of) IP address(es).
Is
there something else I'm not aware of that allows IP address spoofing?

http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourc...dress+spoofing
--
Mark Rae
ASP.NET MVP
http://www.markrae.net