Location Query

Basically, on my my desktop computer, my IP address displays a completely different city/place to where I actually am. However, if I Google my location (not signed in), it displays the right area. I've been wracking my brains, and out of curiosity, how is this possible, when my computer is connected to a wired, ethernet cable? I can understand if I am on say, my phone and wireless. I just wondered how this happens, when in theory, it would show the same place as my IP address?

Thanks.

Are you using a VPN? It's purpose is to hide you. I usually turn off Location settings.

Gelbs said:

when my computer is connected to a wired, ethernet cable?

Click to expand...

The means of connecting to your internet service provider are not relevant.
It's what your ISP passes on that matters so you'll have to search their website to see what they do.


All the best,
Denis

Google gets my area right but, the IP address is from Toronto CA.
Is the IP address a static or dynamic one?

There are commercial vendors that sell access to geo-location databases. Some of them cross-reference large residential IP blocks from major ISP's. While they can't know your exact address, they can identify any IP address within specific ranges "should" be in a general location. Emphasis on "should", as their results can be wildly wrong.

MS (Windows) and Google obviously use two different data sources.

Google gets my location right, but everything else thinks I'm in the location of a server for my ISP, and that's in New Brunswick, not in Ontario. They just have different algorithms for determinig location.

Some of my location data onn my laptop comes from my phone. Google correlates the phones GPS with local wifi signals and its IP address when connected to my home wifi. Dta from my ISP says I'm in London, but eventually my location gets corrected to the Scottish highlands. When I moved house it took ayear for my location to be correct!

It could also be to do with my phone being linked via the same IP address onto my computer. More often than not, even with a VPN, Google still knows my location. Looking it up though, it doesn't mean the VPN isn't working.

My IP is also static unless the router resets.

Gelbs said:

My IP is also static unless the router resets.

Click to expand...

I don't think the IP address changes after a reset unless the provider changes it.
I had to do a EC reset on the router not long ago because the blinking activity light
was off and then we unplug and reset the router itself. My IP address has remained
the same. The older router I had from Rogers , I also had to reset it on a regular basis
(piece of ...) and my IP is still the same as before. Rogers does not issue Dynamic IPs.