How can internet service providers and ASNs improve their IP Geolocation?
IP based geolocation is becoming an essential means for delivering personalised user experiences. Many internet services like news, social networks, video streaming sites, e-commerce and location-based apps are dependent on accurate IP geolocation data. Moreover, it is widely utilised for fraud prevention and cybersecurity. Incorrect IP Geolocation can negatively affect the overall user online experience, often leading to customer complaints.
BigDataCloud uses patent-pending technology to determine usage localities of all active IP addresses worldwide. In short, it relies on various data sources combined with proprietary network discovery technology to estimate geographical service areas for all public routers taking part in the global internet connectivity map.
It does not use hard-coded or fixed location assignments, and every single IP address in the world is being recalculated or re-estimated daily and automatically.
In the vast majority of cases, the BigDataClolud system determines the right geographical areas all on its own. However, if you're an internet service provider or operator of an IP address space (ASN) you can use the following checklist to ensure your address space is getting the most reliable IP Geolocation possible.
Best practice checklist (by the level of importance)
- avoid private IP addresses for public-facing network router interfaces
- make sure all public IP addresses utilised by your network routers are announced on BGP
- make sure that all public network router interfaces are configured to respond to a standard ICMP echo request (RFC 792)
- make sure you maintain your RIR inetnum objects with correct information under the "geoloc:" attribute, if available or provide us with the link to your self-published Geofeed data in Google Public Geo-feed file format. Alternatively, you can also publish your Geofeed records following the Finding and Using Geofeed Data draft requirements.