[SOLVED] Google Location [ISP ISSUE]

[frase]

Had an odd isuue yesterday, a customer when connecting to google it would state they were in SA [south australia], when they are located in VIC [Victoria]. I think it maybe an ISP issue as I have tried everything.


I tried with and without a GA as well
No VPN or Proxy [is autodetect]
Desktop System

 

[britechguy]

What are they using as their access point?

When I'm using my smartphone, I appear to be at many different locations (over time), and that appears to have something to do with how T-Mobile is identifying "where I am" within their network.

By contrast, even though I'm using a T-Mobile wireless access point that's stationary, it always shows me as being where I am, even though it is using the same cellular network as the "point of entry."

I don't try to get myself to "stay in the same place" if I'm using my mobile hotspot. If I need to use Google Maps and it shows me as being in NYC I just do directions entering where I actually am to where I actually want to go.

 

[frase]

It is an ISP related Issue, there are many others having the same issue for over three years. Advised customer to contact the ISP Support.

 

[Markverhyden]

It is an ISP related Issue, there are many others having the same issue for over three years. Advised customer to contact the ISP Support.

It's based on their exit node location. Or at least how the "reported" location is geoip resolved. I've seen that all over for many years now.

 

[britechguy]

It's based on their exit node location.

I didn't know the correct term, so thanks for that. The probability of any ISP changing how this is handled on their side would probably be incredibly small, particularly for "small" customers.

 

[frase]

Their exit node is their arse, as they have had this issue for over five years now and still have not done anything. Regardless of numerous customers having the issue. They are one of the many hopeless ISP's here in Australia, one under the umbrella of another bigger ISP.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

It's based on their exit node location. Or at least how the "reported" location is geoip resolved. I've seen that all over for many years now.

Yup..the location of your "ISPs main gateway that you exit and hit the public internet".
And with certain ISPs..,that gateway can randomly change across several locations "roughly in your region"...depending on load balancing and other factors.

If I do an IP lookup for my office...it's never in the town we're in...it's typically from several locations about 30 - 60 minutes north of us.

 

[britechguy]

And with certain ISPs..,that gateway can randomly change across several locations "roughly in your region"...depending on load balancing and other factors.

Whatever T-Mobile uses goes well outside of "roughly in your region" when mobile phone hotspots are concerned. I've been placed in NYC and various other far flung places from the Shenandoah Valley on more than one occasion. Most times it is somewhat more nearby, but I've been shocked at "where I show up" at times when firing up maps.google.com on my PC.

If whatever the device happens to be doesn't have built in GPS, I never presume it will be accurate in determining "approximate location."

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Agree...cellular is even more long distance, my cell will often show up from around Boston MA area.

 

[Markverhyden]

Yup..the location of your "ISPs main gateway that you exit and hit the public internet".
And with certain ISPs..,that gateway can randomly change across several locations "roughly in your region"...depending on load balancing and other factors.

If I do an IP lookup for my office...it's never in the town we're in...it's typically from several locations about 30 - 60 minutes north of us.

I'll periodically run traceroute just to see what's going on. When I was up in MA it was not uncommon to have 5-6 hops all through Spectrum nodes before I hit the Internet. Just did it hear and there's 8 hops through Spectrum/Charter land before it gets outside.


2 rrcs-96-10-228-81.midsouth.biz.rr.com (96.10.228.81) 1.524 ms 1.583 ms 1.092 ms


3 142-254-207-221.inf.spectrum.com (142.254.207.221) 14.812 ms 18.831 ms 13.524 ms


4 lag-62.rlgknc6701h.netops.charter.com (174.111.105.240) 23.371 ms 37.287 ms 31.234 ms


5 lag-40.drhmncev02r.netops.charter.com (24.25.63.12) 15.301 ms 17.928 ms 13.847 ms


6 lag-31.rcr01drhmncev.netops.charter.com (24.93.64.184) 15.107 ms 18.827 ms 15.103 ms


7 lag-415.asbnva1611w-bcr00.netops.charter.com (107.14.18.106) 13.165 ms


lag-12.asbnva1611w-bcr00.netops.charter.com (66.109.10.176) 22.351 ms


lag-15.asbnva1611w-bcr00.netops.charter.com (66.109.6.80) 21.137 ms

Of course that'll vary based on the chosen end point. Several years ago I was looking at proxy servers. A common way to disguise the source IP. Not surprising all the Chinese ones went through a Northern VA located IP owned by a major Federal contractor.

For years my AT&T WLAN exited somewhere in Oklahoma, going through a half dozen or so private IP nodes before hitting the wild.