Geolocation Data Accuracy

How accurate is geolocation and geofencing?

The accuracy of IP-based geolocation data depends on a number of factors.

These include:

• The quality and freshness of the geolocation database.
• The method that is used to determine the geographic location of the IP address.
• The type of IP address.

The IP geolocation data we use in the Geolocation addon for MIDAS is never more than 30 days old.

In general, IP geolocation data is most accurate for larger geographic areas, such as countries or states.

Data can become less accurate for smaller geographic areas, such as cities or neighborhoods.

As such, if you use the distance (radius) based geofence features of the Geolocation addon, you should always set a larger liberal distance than necessary, rather than a very small strict distance from your location. To aid in testing, the Geolocation addon includes an instant IP lookup test tool, allowing you to check the distance of an IP address before you apply new settings.

The Geolocation addon also includes "fallback" options for both country and distance geofence enforcement. For IP addresses where a country and/or latitude and longitude coordinates cannot be determined, you can configure MIDAS to either block or to allow these connections.

It's also worth noting that the accuracy of IP geolocation data can be affected by the use of proxy servers and VPNs. Proxy servers and VPNs can mask the true IP address of a device, making it difficult to determine the device's geographic location.