Login to only one browser at a time

[gardener]

I used to do Neopets with Firefox and IE windows open, logged into both on the same account, and doing things on both (because some things work better for me in different browsers). Last week I started having the problem of getting logged out often, and then I realized that it happened every time I went and did something on Neopets in the other browser.

In the post: [url=http://www.pinkpt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31881]Vulnerability in IE7 and Firefox 2 (cookie-grab possibility)
[/url]

This also might have been what sparked the "bind login info to IP" change (if that's what TNT did - I'm not clear on the details)

I'm presuming this "bind login info to IP" is similar to the single-browser log-in limit, in that if you were logged in at one IP, it would log you out there when you log in somewhere else.

I thought this would also limit you to being logged in on one browser on one computer. But if I go to another computer on our same IP, and log in with IE there, I am still logged in on IE on the first computer. If I log in on Firefox on a second computer (same IP), I am logged out of IE on the first computer. When two of us are logged in to our own separate accounts on the same ISP (different computers, same browser), we stay logged in just fine.

I suppose there aren't many double-browser people out there, so not many people will be affected, but I just thought I'd post my observations on this. Sorry if it's already discussed somewhere and I missed it.

Edit: added "on the same account" to my first sentence, to clarify it (meaning logged into both browsers with the same Neopets username.)

Last edited by gardener on Wed Feb 28, 2007 4:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

[shapu]

It's come up. In addition to being bound to IP, apparently the Neopets login information is browser-specific.

There might be a simple way to fix that, i.e. to take advantage of one of the firefox extensions that lets you mock what browser you're using, and have it think that you're using IE. But I'm not sure if that would work.

To be totally honest, I'm not even sure why neopets tied login information on their end to browser, although it does serve as an additional security measure (thwarting those who would use your login but who use a different browser).

[bettywales]

No, it's cheesing me off as well. Some of the games, especially, work better in IE than Firefox. Doing the switch to IE within FF doesn't help.

[gardener]

Okay. Thanks for the feedback, both of you. Looks like its just another thing I'll have to get used to.

[allnameswereout]

Yeah, I used to be able to have 2 browsers open and play the same game twice. This was useful for WC as there are strategies where a certain score is more useful that another (I'm not going to explain them *wink*). At some point this was not possible anymore. Also, it seemed I was not able to safe one score of one day in a browser open, for next day. Now this. So I suppose it is a trend which makes this kind of behaviour (score-saving) indeed a bit harder though it might be 'collateral damage'.

[Blue]

I'm a "two browser" also: Opera & FireFox. I have been having the same problem you're seeing.

Setting Opera's Site Preferences to "Mask as FireFox" for neopets,com did not appear to help. I still had to log in after switching back and forth. I can use both simultaneously for a little while, but then after some period of time (never timed it), I will have to re-login in on Opera.

-Blue

[gardener]

Okay, today it seems to be back to normal. I can be in Firefox, go to Explorer, play a game, send score, go back to Firefox, find that I'm still logged in, go back to Explorer and I'm still logged in there, too! So maybe that was a temporary programming issue.

Edit: nevermind - I went back to Explorer again a bit later, and I was logged out again. But it did work for a little while!

[aznknightfire]

at least you can tell if someone's accessing your account!

[Ric]

I didn't think that it would bother me in the beginning, but I've now realised that I use Firefox on one computer and Avant on the other... and contanstly switch between the two.

[_ei]

Hmm I never play on one account on two browsers at once but is it still possible to be logged in to two separate accounts on different browsers for things like pet transfers?

I can't see a reason why it wouldn't be but I thought I'd check anyway

[VirtualMetal]

I'm having a strange problem myself. I've been logged onto an account in IE (one I also use when at another family members house at weekends) and it logs me out. But, when I click on something, I'm able to see the mail icon and read it when I hover over it. I've sent a bug report as I'll not be able to use any public computers if this happens. I don't like my mail being read. =(

[gardener]

is it still possible to be logged in to two separate accounts on different browsers for things like pet transfers?

It would be awful to have the receiving account log out in the middle of a pet transfer!

I just tried it, and it works for the most part. I logged into FF, then IE, on two different accounts, but left them idle. Five minutes later, FF was logged out.
Logged back into FF, used both accounts actively for five minutes, everything stayed fine.
Left them bothe idle for 10 minutes, when I came back they were still both logged in.
Left IE logged in but inactive, used FF acount actively for 5 minutes, both still logged in. Edit: I left the computer with them both logged in, came back 4 hours later, and they were still both logged in just fine.

I would still judge it safe to transfer pets this way, refreshing the receiving page before every "Don't leave me" click on the sending page (and of course right after that again, as usual). The quick adopt link will give you the log-in page if you're not logged in, so you would know not to send the pet at that point.

I've been logged onto an account in IE (one I also use when at another family members house at weekends) and it logs me out. But, when I click on something, I'm able to see the mail icon and read it when I hover over it.

I'm not sure which mail icon you mean. I'm sure you must mean the NeoMail event icon that's in the upper left corner of most pages when you have unread NeoMail, and when you hover you can see about the first line or two of the message. In some browsers that don't refresh automatically when you go to a page, you can still see events, including RE's, that have shown up previously. My Firefox used to refresh automatically, but with my lastest upgrade it hasn't been. At first it was odd. I had the NeoMail event icon on the Healing Springs page, but didn't click on it there and read it on another page. The next few times I went to the Healing Springs page, the NeoMail icon would be there, and I'd think I had received another NeoMail, until I hovered over it and saw it was an old one. Eventually I tired of seeing that every time I went there, so I refreshed the page before I clicked on "Heal my pets", and that got rid of it.

Anyhow, if that is what people are seeing, they won't be able to read all your mail, since you are logged out. But if you don't want them to see that first line or two by hovering, or don't want them to even see your user name etc., then clear the browser history before you leave. Both Firefox & IE7 have a one-click option to delete all temporary files, history, cookies, saved passwords, and web form data.

at least you can tell if someone's accessing your account!

Actually I've never been worried about that, beyond taking sensible precautions. I always log out when away from home, and no-one knows my password or the e-mail address listed on my account. I only use Firefox for Neopets, and when I use IE for Neopets, I don't browse to any other sites until I log off, except for super safe sites like PPT, NeoItems, and my bank.
I suppose if I ever DID forget to log off when away from home, I would appreciate this new feature.

Last edited by gardener on Wed Feb 28, 2007 4:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

[thegreenside]

I'm getting the neomail glitch to. Last time I went to play wingoball on IE for some WC pieces. At some point I didn't think I'd get one and left neo. About a half later I tried to login with firefox and before I had login, the mail icon was there to inform me of my winnings.

That's definatly a glitch that they are gonna need to fix. Or just remove the whole browser-based cookies system.

EDIT: It's definatly a bug. I tried the same thing again. played wingoball world challenge and ended it knowing I'd win. I then went to firefox but I didn't login and browsed around to be sure I wasn't logged in anymore (very positive I hadn't any mail icons displayed). Later I go again on firefox without logging in and the mail icon appears informing me of my WC win.

[Aufstandkind]

Oh good--it's not just me. I use multiple browsers and now I just get kicked out of one when I open another. I assumed it had to do with my buying Premium. Like, an extra security measure now that actual money was invested.

[Fiddelysquat]

Oh, that sucks! I used to transfer pets using 2 browsers. *shakes fist*