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Geolocation not right.

paul-syd-smith
Fledgling

Hi,

 I have the Zyxel NR5103Ev2 router and I have great signal and great speed. The only issue I have is that a lot of websites believe I'm in Nottingham/Grantham, when in actual fact I'm right in the middle of Loughborough.

It's a bit of a problem when I visit somewhere like for example Screwfix and it keeps putting things in my basked to collect from a store which is miles away. I have to keep reselecting the store, and selecting the "Use my location" button always selects Grantham.

Surely my router should know which tower I'm connected to and the network should be able to correctly identify where that is, and pass that information forward. Any ideas how this can be resolved if at all? This is the only gripe I have with the mobile broadband which (in my location at least) is fantastic!  

1 REPLY 1
PeteG
Community Support Team
Community Support Team

Hello, Paul.

When devices don't have built-in GPS, they often rely on IP addresses or Wi-Fi network locations to estimate their position. Cellular location isn't always precise because IP addresses associated with cell towers can change, and aren't directly tied to the tower's physical location. Wi-Fi networks, on the other hand, can offer a more accurate estimate as they are often associated with a specific physical address.

Unfortunately, there's no instant fix for this. Location accuracy usually improves over time as large databases used by websites and apps get updated. This happens when devices with GPS enabled and location services running in the background detect a Wi-Fi network and report its location. If enough devices confirm a network's location, the database will eventually update.

You might be able to speed up the process by using apps like Google Maps on your phone while connected to your home Wi-Fi. Make sure you have location services turned on for the app. Having multiple devices do this might also help.

It's also worth noting that some websites might rely on your IP address for location, rather than your device's information. If that's the case, it might be difficult to get completely accurate location results.

Hope this helps!

Pete.



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