IP address-user number estimates may be determined by accepting
IP address usage information associating various IP addresses with various
client identifiers, and generating an estimate of a number of users for at least one of the IP addresses using the
IP address usage information. If the
client identifiers include cookies, the estimate of a number of users for at least one of the IP address might be generated, in part, by determining a number of cookies for the at least one IP address for a given period of time, and multiplying the first ratio by a second, predetermined, ratio of a number of users per cookie for the given time period. If the
client identifiers are user-agent parameters and / or browser parameters (e.g., screen setting information,
time zone, history length, whether or not
Java enabled, number of plug-ins,
mime types, etc.), the estimate of a number of users per IP address might be generated, in part, by determining a ratio of unique sets of
user agent and / or browser parameters for an IP address.