Google location question

Tue Nov 23 20:31:54 UTC 2021

NANOG,

 

                Sorry if this is the wrong forum, but I figured we could all
use a distraction from IPV4 expansion for a bit.  We're facing a problem
with corporate use of browsers and google location services.  Our users
across North and South America seem to be getting location info for Rio de
Janeiro, BR as of the last few days.  All of our users when browsing hit
general internet via a NAT pool for IPs out of Atlanta, GA.  That hasn't
changed in over a year.  The IP space itself and the upstream routers PTR
haven't changed for longer than that.

                For a normal laptop without a GPS chip and using default
settings, it would seem that something else must be informing google of
location.  We've had a few theories.  I discovered our Cisco wireless in RIO
office is broadcasting SSID.  The same SSID name we use in all offices.  But
I believe that google uses BSSID which is MAC based.  And would be different
between sites, as each have their own wireless controller, and certainly
different APs.  At least that's what I believe to be true, that google
didn't associate our standard SSID name with a physical location.

                I'm curious if anyone has ever dealt with this before.  I
don't want to blame our workstation folks for something that might be a
geolocation issue, either based on wi-fi being detected, or a messed up
geolocation for our IP space.  Is there any place in Google-land where you
can see exactly why it thinks you're in a given location?  I did see some
articles on API usage to view values, but nothing that shows you the process
when it takes all variables into effect.

 

Thanks,

 

Chuck

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