Could a truly random number be generated using pings to pseudo-randomly selected IP addresses?

Question

The question posed came about during my comp sci lecture while discussing the impossibility of generating numbers in a deterministic computational device.This was the only suggestion which didn't depend on non-commodity-class hardware. Is there another possible implementation?

Answer 1

The most common method of seeding the random number generator is to use the current time. I had to write a random number generator for a keno draw for a casino in New Jersey, and after some research I found that the only true randomness I could count on was Human interaction: to start the draw, a human had to push a button. This was actually a requirement in the specs. So every time the draw button was pressed, I reseeded the generator.

Worked. Software got certified by the New Jersey Gaming Authority.