Understanding IP Address Geolocation Inaccuracy

When you visit a website or use an online service, it can often determine your approximate geographical location using your IP. Bscan's main page shows you the location gathered from a service often used for this purpose. You might have noticed that it is not very accuracte. In this article we will give you an overview of why.

How Does IP Geolocation Work?

IP geolocation services maintain vast databases that map IP addresses to geographical locations. These databases are compiled from various sources, including:

• Regional Internet Registries (RIRs): Organizations like ARIN, RIPE NCC, APNIC, LACNIC, and AFRINIC allocate blocks of IP addresses to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and other organizations within their respective regions.
• ISPs: ISPs assign IP addresses to their customers. The location associated with an IP address is often the location of the ISP's equipment or a central point within their network coverage area for that block.
• Data submitted by users: Some services allow users to submit or correct location data.
• Data mining and analysis: Geolocation providers use algorithms and data mining techniques to refine their location data.

When you connect to the internet, your device is assigned an IP address by your ISP. When a service wants to determine your location, it queries a geolocation database with your IP address.

Why Can IP Geolocation Be Inaccurate?

Several factors can lead to inaccuracies in IP-based geolocation:

1. Proxy Servers and VPNs: If you're using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or a proxy server, your IP address will appear as the IP address of the VPN or proxy server. This means your geolocation will be reported as the location of that server, which could be anywhere in the world, rather than your actual location. This is a common reason for significant discrepancies.
2. ISP Data Center Locations: ISPs often route traffic through central data centers or points of presence (PoPs). The IP address assigned to you might be associated with the location of this infrastructure, which could be in a different city or even state/region than where you are physically located. This is especially true for larger ISPs covering wide geographical areas.
3. Mobile Networks: Mobile IP addresses can be particularly tricky. Your mobile device's IP address might be associated with a gateway that serves a large area. As you move, your IP address might not change, but your physical location does. The reported location is often that of the mobile network operator's central routing point.
4. Database Inaccuracies and Outdated Information: Geolocation databases are constantly being updated, but they are not always perfect. IP addresses can be reassigned, ISPs can change their network configurations, and it takes time for these changes to propagate to all databases. An IP address might have previously been used in one location and is now used in another, but the database hasn't caught up.
5. Dynamic IP Addresses: Many residential internet connections use dynamic IP addresses, which can change periodically. While the general location block might remain the same, the specific IP might have been used by someone in a slightly different area previously.
6. Private vs. Public IP Addresses: Geolocation works with public IP addresses. Your devices on a local network use private IP addresses (like 192.168.x.x), which are not routable on the internet and don't provide location information directly. Your router's public IP is what's seen externally.
7. Country vs. City/Region Level Accuracy: IP geolocation is generally more accurate at the country level. City or postal code level accuracy can vary significantly. It's often an approximation based on the center of the IP block's likely coverage.

How bscan.info Approaches IP Geolocation

At bscan.info, we strive to provide you with the most relevant information about your internet connection. For IP geolocation, we primarily utilize data from ipinfo.io, a reputable provider known for its comprehensive IP address data. This service gives us details such as country, region, city, and ISP associated with your IP.

Additionally, we use services like IPHub.info. While IPHub is primarily focused on detecting VPNs, proxies, and other types of "bad" IPs, its analysis can sometimes provide contextual clues that are relevant to understanding the nature of an IP address, which indirectly relates to the trustworthiness of its apparent geolocation. For instance, if an IP is flagged as a known VPN or proxy, its geolocation data points to the server, not the user.

Conclusion

While IP geolocation is a useful technology, it's essential to recognize its limitations. It provides an estimate of your location, not a precise pinpoint. For users concerned about privacy, understanding these inaccuracies is crucial, especially when considering tools like VPNs. For services relying on geolocation, it's important to be aware that the data might not always reflect the user's exact physical whereabouts.

Always consider IP geolocation as an indicator rather than an absolute fact. Also note that this does not make it useless, a lot of sites use it, and having an indication of what they see can help you determine if it's worth it to use a VPN or proxy.