Yes, GB. The IP address is very useful, but not necessarily the one currently being used, and not necessarily the actual IP address of the computer workstation itself. It can even be an old IP since all points usually point to Rome anyway. Cable users will normally have a cable box acting as a gateway, which of course would have it's own IP address, but how many cable users string wire from their cable box to a computer 100 miles away?
As far as exactly "how" it's done, I'm afraid I really can't go there without making Adelphia, Bell, US Cable, and bunch of other companies want to sue me for handing out proprietery information on how to talk to their equipment. I'm not one for biting off the hands that "used" to feed me. Now if someone wanted to pay my rather high consulting fee, we could probably talk a little biz. *smiles*