Is there a tool for this?
 

I have a wireless network right now, with router and all that, but what I'd like to do is be able to run a full trace on my network, especially if I'm in private chats. The way my business runs, I'd like to be able to trace IP addresses about some of the chats I get, so I know what country I'm speaking to. Is there a way? Thanks. :-D

There's a lot of software out there that will give you a pictorial of your network connections like Solarwinds. Just about an traceroute software will produce the same effect.

The simplest way is to just netstat your ip connnections and traceroute to those connections which is basically what the above softwares do except put them in a visual.

Yes, I tried netstat before, and I believe I have a software called NetShark or something like that, but it's all so confusing. And I tried it while chatting with someone in Skype, and I didn't see a new IP address register.

Just so I'm clear, you CAN trace IPs while in private chat with someone, right?

Only if you have a direct port connection with that IP. In other words, if you were to use third-party software to chat with someone you will see an open port on your system to the port of the chat server. But you cannot see the IP of any other person in the same chat.

However, if you have a direct IP connection chat with someone (peer-to-peer) then you will be able to see their IP. Some programs like ICQ and AIM will allow direct peer-to-peer connections because it's a more stable connection.

The only way to get the IP of persons in a chat room is if: A. You have administrative rights to view IP's on that server, B. You're using a software packet sniffer that will allow you to decode the packets to strip out an IP, or C. If there are peer-to-peer connection options available. Places like Stickam uses Peer-to-Peer chat connections where a private user (or client) is hosting a chat session. In that case, you may be able to see that person's private IP address depending on the protocols and security allowed by the software. In most instances they merely act as a proxy and you wouldn't be able to see the host's actual IP address to protect the host.

But I'll have to add wanting to do this is rather suspicious to me. We don't condone illegal activitys on this site though there could be practical reasons as to why someone would need to do something like that. And tracing an IP can be misleading. While a traceroute may show the packet routing to end up in a certain area the user could still be a significant distance away from that hop. In other words, if I were living on the Virginia/Maryland border and I lived in Virginia, but my hop was in Maryland it would report that I am in Maryland when in actuality I'm not.