[tor-talk] Strange behaviour from Gmail's IP to location service.

[cmeclax-sazri]

On Tuesday 01 March 2011 06:12:05 Matthew wrote:
>   In Gmail, one can go to the bottom of the inbox, select details, and see
> account activity such as IPs that are logged in and IPs that were recently
> logged in.  Gmail often - but not always - attempts to connect the IP to a
> location like, for example, www.ip2location.com.
>
> However, while www.ip2location provides the same location information as
> from http://torstatus.blutmagie.de/, Gmail often provides rather strange
> location data. when using certain USA exit nodes.
>
> For example:
>
> Freeside (76.10.214.53 - New York) identified by Gmail as United States
> (CA) (76.10.214.53)
>
> Ennui (208.75.57.100 - San Francisco) identified by Gmail as United States
> (WA) (208.75.57.100)
>
> Virek (76.10.214.89 - New York) identified by Gmail as United States (CA)
> (76.10.214.89)
>
> Fejk2 (204.152.222.140 - Nevada) identified by Gmail as China
> (204.152.222.140)
>
> If you select some USA exit nodes from http://torstatus.blutmagie.de/ and
> check with Gmail you will find other examples.
>
> Not all exit nodes are inaccurate but the majority are.
>
> Why?

Both Blutmagie and ip2location give my location as Salisbury, North Carolina, 
which is a few counties away from my actual location. I tried another address 
in Road Runner and ip2location correctly stated the location as Charlotte. I 
guess that RR rearranged addresses months ago and I got an address that used 
to be in Salisbury.

cmeclax