IP Logs and Access Records
Many countries require an internet cafe to record which customer used which station and when. The IP Logs tab on the Logs page holds those access records.
Access records are not stored in the HandyCafe database. They are written to one plain text file per day. Each file is kept outside the database and sealed with a checksum. A later change to a sealed file is therefore detectable.
Turning Access Logging On
Access logging is off until you enable it. Open Settings, then Security. Find the Access Logs (IP Log) block.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Enable access logging | Records each device's internal IP address, MAC address and session activity into a daily file |
| Log outbound connections | Also records the destination IP address and port of outbound connections. This increases log volume noticeably |
| Record destination domains | Attributes each destination IP to the domain the station resolved for it |
| Record originating application | Records which program on the station opened the connection, such as chrome.exe |
| Retention period (days) | How long day files are kept. 730 days (two years) matches the retention period required by Turkey's Law 5651 |
| Cafe static IP address | The fixed public IP your provider assigned to this venue |
The last four settings appear only while the ones above them are on. Destination domains and originating application both sit under outbound connection logging.
Client version requirements
Destination domain capture needs client 5.0.14 or newer on Windows. Originating application capture needs client 5.0.15 or newer. Older clients keep sending the basic record without those fields.
Domains resolved inside a browser using Secure DNS stay invisible to the station. Those are not recorded.
A note on domains
A visited domain says far more about a customer than an IP address does. Check your local data protection duties before switching Record destination domains on. Recording connections alone satisfies most retention rules.
The static IP field
The regulation usually asks for the shared public address of the venue next to the internal address of the station. Enter the fixed public IP your provider assigned here. Leave it empty if the venue has no static IP.
Reading the Records
Open the Logs page and select the IP Logs tab. The heading of the view is Access Records.
Record kinds
| Filter | Shows |
|---|---|
| Sessions | Device online and offline events plus session start and end |
| Connections | Outbound connections from stations |
| All | Both kinds together |
Event types
| Event | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Device online | A station appeared on the network |
| Device offline | A station left the network |
| Session started | A session opened on a station |
| Session ended | A session closed |
| Connection | A station opened an outbound connection |
Columns
Event, PC, User, Local IP, MAC, Target, Protocol and Public IP. A session without a member shows Guest as the user.
Selecting a record opens its detail. The detail adds the member ID, the session ID, the remote IP and port, the local port, the resolved domain, the originating application and the raw log line. The raw line can be copied for a legal request.
Navigating and searching
The view works one day at a time, with Previous day and Next day controls. Free text search covers IP address, MAC address, hostname, member and domain. Protocol and event filters narrow the list further.
Selecting Show this PC's connections from a session record jumps to the connections of that station.
A range wider than 31 days shows a warning. Results may be capped.
Day File Integrity
Each day is one file. When the day ends, the file is sealed and compressed to .log.zst. The Day file integrity panel shows:
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| File name | The day file on disk |
| Size and Size on disk | The record size and the compressed size |
| Lines | How many records the day holds |
| Current SHA-256 | The checksum of the file as it stands now |
| Previous day hash | The checksum of the day before, chaining the days together |
| Sealed at | When the day was closed and sealed |
The status shown next to a day is one of:
- Verified -- the file matches its recorded checksum.
- Tampered -- the file no longer matches. Someone changed it after it was sealed.
- No file -- no records exist for that day.
Because each day file carries the checksum of the previous day, removing or editing a single day breaks the chain from that point forward.
Export day file writes a copy of the day out for handing to an authority.
Where the Files Live
Access log day files sit in their own folder, separate from application logs and from the database. Change the location under Settings, then Folders, in the IP Log folder block. The new location takes effect immediately without restarting the app.
See Folder Locations.
Compliance Note
HandyCafe records and retains access data. Retention alone does not make a venue compliant. Registration duties, notice requirements, filtering obligations and the format an authority expects differ by country. Confirm your own duties with a local advisor.