Limiting Downloads

The easy way of doing this is just buying DLGuard. (Especially if you don't know code).


But if you do know the basics of coding, then here's a quick rundown of a simple way:

- Create a new DB, in this database input two tables. One named "ip" and the other "download count".

- In the IP table, all that we need to track is IP's, so that is all your going to add to the fields.
- In the download count table, you only need to track the download count.

^ This is now going to track our visitors (so they can re-download) and also limit to 500.

- In a php file, you will need the following:

**connect to DB**
**query both tables (ip table in an array & needs to select WHERE ip=$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'])**

if ($row['ip'] == '' && $row2['download_count'] < 501)
{
add ip to database and update download count by adding one to the total, and then you can download the file...
}
else if ($row['ip'] != '')
{
You can re-download the file....
}
else {
We are sorry, but the 500 copies are gone...
}


^ This script will only count the first 500 IP's, and then it won't add any more to DB.

This is just a quick example, and I haven't tested anything or even given it a second thought (so probably some errors), but at least this can be a guide if your wanting to create a script yourself to do this.

Also, this offers no protection for the true location of your file. You can hide it with php, but that is a whole different story.


Anyway I hope this helped as a broad example.