Youtube Geolocation

Thu Apr 21 22:29:31 UTC 2011

I don't know what Google uses but any company using F5 equipment is using Quova geolocation services.  You can request updates and check your circuit here:

http://www.quova.com/what/request-ip-update/

The problem is that the F5 devices don't update the database files automatically, they need to be manually updated.  Unless I get a specific request at my company I don't bother updating on a regular basis.

-Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: Carl Rosevear [mailto:crosevear at skytap.com] 
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 6:19 PM
To: nanog at nanog.org
Subject: Re: Youtube Geolocation

I have had this same problem, followed Google's forms, etc... they never seem to fix it.  Its really annoying.

This is an epic fail on the part of Google in my opinion.  My netblocks all show Seattle in whois...  my routing is obviously here...  I don't think we have an official address in the UK listed on anything.

How does Google get this information?  Why don't they possibly ever do anything about it?  It makes Google's properties perform abysmally to a large percentage of our customer base. And then we get blamed for it.

And Google does nothing, even after submitting the web form that clearly states that they will not get back to us about it but will try to resolve the issue.  Its quite hideous really. Its in everyone's worst interest.  How about maybe trusting my whois data?  If whois data leads to incorrect results then it is in the netblock owners' best interest to update the whois data if they want to be directed efficiently with gslb/etc that uses whois data as the source.

And I've been working with ip-geo stuff for years...  I understand that a lot of effort has gone into making it "better" than the whois data... but every other freaking IP geolocator I type my IP into properly recognizes the addresses are in Seattle...  why not Google?

Anyway, I at the very least commiserate with you if I'm not perhaps making some passive-aggressive cry for help from Google or anyone else with a clue bat about this issue.  :)  Thanks!

--C

On Thu, Apr 21, 2011 at 2:36 PM, Dan White <dwhite at olp.net> wrote:

> We're experiencing very poor quality with You Tube, and it appears 
> we're subject to a bad entry within a geolocation database somewhere.
>
> When we attempt to view videos, the contact comes back to us from IPs like:
>
> 208.117.226.21 (traceroute's through Frankfurt)
> 173.194.50.47
> 74.125.100.29
>
> All of those IPs are >125ms away from us (67.217.144.0/20, and 
> 216.14.144.0/20).
>
> However, we've never experienced redirection problems with Google 
> before (we always land at www.google.com), so I'm not sure where to 
> take our trouble. The page at:
>
> http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/request.py?contact_type=ip
>
> isn't of much help as it assumes the problem is google.com redirection.
>
> Are there any contacts at Youtube who could provide some assistance?
>
> Thanks,
> --
> Dan White
>
>

--
Carl Rosevear
Manager of Operations
Skytap, Inc.
direct (206) 588-8899
************* Email Confidentiality Notice ********************
The information contained in this e-mail message (including any 
attachments) may be confidential, proprietary, privileged, or otherwise
exempt from disclosure under applicable laws. It is intended to be 
conveyed only to the designated recipient(s). Any use, dissemination, 
distribution, printing, retaining or copying of this e-mail (including its 
attachments) by unintended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited and may 
be unlawful. If you are not an intended recipient of this e-mail, or believe 
that you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender 
immediately (by replying to this e-mail), delete any and all copies of 
this e-mail (including any attachments) from your system, and do not
disclose the content of this e-mail to any other person. Thank you!