How accurate is IP geolocation?¶
IP geolocation estimates where an address or network may be used. It does not normally identify a precise device, premises or person.
The short version¶
Geolocation is contextual intelligence, not a precise location record.
Why results vary¶
A service may place an address at:
- a registry or provider headquarters;
- a network's engineering location;
- a broad service area;
- a mobile network gateway;
- a VPN, proxy or cloud data centre; or
- an outdated or approximate location.
Different databases may therefore return different places without any of them proving a contradiction.
What the result can help with¶
It may help you:
- recognise the broad network or country;
- identify a possible mismatch worth checking;
- understand why an address is classified as hosting or mobile; or
- compare a technical result with other evidence.
It should not be used alone to claim that a person or device was at a particular place.
A useful boundary
A map pin is not a measurement of the handset or laptop. It is an estimate attached to a network address.
Record the result¶
Keep the address, lookup service, date, result, confidence or accuracy information and any alternative results. Explain whether the result relates to the network, gateway or intermediary rather than a physical endpoint.
The point to remember
Use geolocation to ask better questions; do not present it as proof of a precise location.
