FAQs about the accuracy of IP geographical data

Can you explain your mechanism to update the IP location?

Updates to our IP Geolocation Database Feed are largely driven by an algorithm which considers changes in netblock ownership, updated range geolocation information from partners and other proprietary techniques to determine what an IP address' geolocation is. 

If the location of an IP range is one country, why do the users have different IP addresses?

IP addresses are often used by users who are not in the same country or subscribers to the ISP who owns such IP addresses. However, it's possible that users connect through a company-controlled corporate VPN that is on the IP range in question, but users could be distributed globally.

What is the frequency of your database update? How do inaccuracies occur?

IP Geolocation Database Feed is updated daily based on mechanisms mentioned above. Although we identify changes in our daily IP netblock ownership scans, our algorithm may have conflicting information about where that IP address is actually geolocated, resulting in inaccurate results.

Summary / Guidance

IP-based geolocation is an imperfect science. Without access to the highly-regulated global device-level "Precise Location" as typically sourced from telecom cell towers, we will occasionally produce inevitable fluctuations in the data accuracy due to global IP address management. Despite that, the help we get from our partners and the Internet community as well as our IP geo subscribers in reporting inaccuracies are constantly vital to improving our algorithms toward the "best technically possible" outcome.