How are IP addresses tied to location?

[-Setro-]

How exactly does locating someone via their IP address work?
How does your IP address even contain info about your location? Like, how does it know where you are?
Sorry if I sound confusing.

[Ad Bot]

[Darryl McKoy]

If you mean through all those geolocation searches, they're only accurate to whatever exchange you connect to for your internet.

[-Setro-]

If you mean through all those geolocation searches, they're only accurate to whatever exchange you connect to for your internet.

I know it can be a bit inaccurate, but how does your IP address even know where you are?
Like, I never answered a survey, it just determined my location somehow.

[blueblur121]

Here we go.

[Darryl McKoy]

I know it can be a bit inaccurate, but how does your IP address even know where you are?
Like, I never answered a survey, it just determined my location somehow.

The IP doesn't know where you are, your ISP does

I think it differs depending on each ISP's allocation practices, but often they allocate IPs based on location.

[-Setro-]

The IP doesn't know where you are, your ISP does

I think it differs depending on each ISP's allocation practices, but often they allocate IPs based on location.

So my ISP is sharing my location with others, or ???
Sorry if I sound dumb, I'm terrible with anything network-related.

[joe411]

I'm terrible with anything network-related.

This explains everything.

[Darryl McKoy]

So my ISP is sharing my location with others, or ???

They allocate your IP, and you hold an account with them so they know your location. Most carriers will give you an IP that is somehow based on your location.

[Pie Crust]

They don't know your location. Just the location of your ISP or, in some cases, your ISP provides them a more accurate location.

For example, I live in Buenos Aires and sites like Facebook, Google, etc. know that I live in Buenos Aires but my ISP doesn't give them anything else so Nuñez, Buenos Aires, Argentina is the location of my ISP's offices. I don't live in the neighborhood of Nuñez.

[Masterlegodude]

Question: Is it normal that, while my IPv4 address says i'm in New York, my IPv6 address says i'm in Virginia?

[Pie Crust]

Ask your ISP, lol.

[Headcrab Zombie]

http://whatismyipaddress.com/geolocation

Geolocation services have access to a number of databases (different kinds) that give them the information needed to locate someone online through their IP address. A primary source for IP address data is the Regional Internet Registries. These are large, official organizations responsible for managing and distributing IP addresses in specific regions of the world. You can read more about RIRs here. The RIR for North America is called the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN).

A service might probe data sources where your IP address has shown up before. For example, if you went to an online weather site and typed in your city or ZIP code, that information was linked to your IP address because you made the request online in real time. (That's why you get such instant and accurate weather data with a simple query.)

Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) also may contribute information to databases that is helpful to geolocation services. The services might use statistical formulas and other sophisticated brown townytical tools and brown townyze the data submitted by us in our specific online activities. This helps them fine-tune their search and improve their service to subscribers.

Also see:
http://whatismyipaddress.com/rir