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Author Topic: Speed Tests And GeoLocation  (Read 6374 times)

sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #15 on: December 06, 2019, 11:39:20 PM »

If the legislators actually believe than an IP address identifies an individual then that belief itself is cause for alarm, as it is so wrong.  :o

An IP address does not identify a person any more than, say, their postcode.    Yet the postcode for a given street address is no secret, and pre-loaded into millions of sat navs.   Perfectly legal, as long as individual names at the address/postcode are not stored.   
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #16 on: December 07, 2019, 12:46:36 AM »

Strangely, my location at the bottom left of google.co.uk is 100% accurate at the moment: "United Kingdom"  :P

Now that’s interesting.

When I visit google’s home page on my tablet (an iPad) before conducting a search, it shows  “United Kingdom”.   Below that it shows a box saying “Unkown - use precise location”.  If I tap that box, it says “Location unavailable”.

But as soon as I conduct a search, no matter what I search for, the lower box changes to “Great Yarmouth - From your Internet address”.   The “use precise location” box remains, with same response if tapped.

Does yours stay at “United Kingdom” and “Unavailable” after searching?
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Alex Atkin UK

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #17 on: December 07, 2019, 08:08:22 AM »

Google thinks I'm in Stafford from my IP address.  Then again, as I'm load balanced across two different ISPs I have no idea which one its basing this on.
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jelv

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #18 on: December 07, 2019, 09:26:49 AM »

When I visit google’s home page on my tablet (an iPad) before conducting a search, it shows  “United Kingdom”.   Below that it shows a box saying “Unkown - use precise location”.  If I tap that box, it says “Location unavailable”.

But as soon as I conduct a search, no matter what I search for, the lower box changes to “Great Yarmouth - From your Internet address”.   The “use precise location” box remains, with same response if tapped.

I'd never noticed that. I did a search using Google on my Android phone earlier today. Doing a Google search on the PC does indeed change from United Kingdom to my exact location.

Further to that, yesterday (as I posted) petrolprices was locating me near Watford Gap. In Firefox I gave that website permission to access my location. Google having got my location right must have stored it in Firefox somewhere because petrolprices is now also locating me very accurately.
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #19 on: December 07, 2019, 11:14:05 AM »

I'm getting more and more fascinated by the Great Yarmouth location.

Google's guess for me in recent weeks has been very accurate indeed, usually naming a tiny hamlet of a village about a half mile to the east.   I've also seen it put me in Rochdale, a place I have never been, but that's attributable to the fact it is home of my ISP.

But Yarmouth is very consistent right now.  Same result for all our devices, so definitely based on IP address.

Trouble is, the sun's just begun to break through the drizzle here, and that has got me yearning to actually be in Great Yarmouth, where Mum & Dad sometimes took us family holidays.    Fish & chips (served open of course) for lunch whilst strolling the pier, play the penny machines til all my pocket money's spent, then  a nice afternoon stroll by the sea.  So much better than the various chores that real life has lined up for me today.   :D
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Alex Atkin UK

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #20 on: December 08, 2019, 11:31:36 PM »

Is this with WiFi on or off?  What devices?
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #21 on: December 09, 2019, 12:00:36 AM »

Is this with WiFi on or off?  What devices?
Since the phenomenon appears to be based on IP address, I would expect the same outcome on all devices that share the broadband connection via NAT, both wired and WiFi. This is borne out by observations...

Tablets, phones and PCs all show the same... Great Yarmouth, including a laptop belonging to a visitor, but connected as a guest to our network.   Some of these devices, such as tablets and phones are, obviously, connected via WiFi.   My desktop PC however has a wired connection but gives the same result... I am hundreds of miles away, in Great Yarmouth.

On phone if I disable WiFi, so it falls back to mobile data, google search unsurprisingly bases its results on a different IP and shows a different location - “Greater London”.   Still wrong, but not as daft as Great Yarmouth. :)
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g3uiss

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #22 on: December 09, 2019, 09:08:13 AM »

Apple always recon I’m in London (250 miles away). When they do the verification thing.
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #23 on: December 09, 2019, 09:35:44 AM »

Apple always recon I’m in London (250 miles away). When they do the verification thing.

That’s surprising, I’d have thought Apple’s verification routine would be privy to the device’s entire arsenal of location parameters, including Satellite, nearby WiFi and cell tower location triangulation, etc.   Mind you, not all devices have the hardware to do all these things.
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aesmith

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #24 on: December 12, 2019, 04:29:10 PM »

I tested my Andrews and Arnold IP address on various services, and none of them even locate me in Scotland.  Check just now gave Rickmansworth, Loughton and London depending on which database was used.   When I checked a while ago, and I can't remember the service, it put me down at an actual street address of an Indian takeaway in Warrington.

As a side effect, it gives me pleasure when things like Avast pop up a map from the other side of the country as "evidence" that I can be tracked.
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #25 on: December 12, 2019, 05:24:14 PM »

I just checked and Google now has my IP address back in my own village.  Which is actually very accurate indeed as it’s just a small hamlet.   Disappointing though, I quite liked being a few hundred miles away in Great Yarmouth, taking in the sea breeze.

I have no idea what triggered the change.
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burakkucat

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #26 on: December 12, 2019, 05:38:22 PM »

Interestingly Google Maps, when called up without a location specified, now show me as in Brandon Country Park, somewhat north of my home town.
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #27 on: December 12, 2019, 07:54:36 PM »

Interestingly Google Maps, when called up without a location specified, now show me as in Brandon Country Park, somewhat north of my home town.

Without wanting to sound critical, there might be scope for misunderstanding here.   Smartphone users may think of ‘Google Maps’ as being the stand-alone App that shows mapping as well as being a sat nav.   In iOS (assuming not signed in to Google) , that App simply seems to  launch at the last place it displayed, I’d be surprised if Android were different.

But when I visit the web version of Google’s Mapping resource, typing maps.google.com into my browser, it loads a map of my village.   It’s a pity I didn’t try that I was ‘in’ Great Yarmouth.   I’m confident it would have shown the Yarmouth area but, since the phenomenon is over I can’t be certain. :(
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Chrysalis

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #28 on: December 16, 2019, 09:27:49 AM »

These auto geolocate services annoy me, e.g. if i search in google it thinks I am on the other side of the country, and google are so confident that system works they dont allow an override to be configured for location.
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gannite

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Re: Speed Tests And GeoLocation
« Reply #29 on: December 20, 2019, 11:37:47 AM »

Thanks to everyone.
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