how is your location determined?

[Delta519]

if i live in port dover, would i ever be assigned an IP on my phone that shows me as logged in my apps as though i was in Oshawa or thunderbay or brampton or Vaughn??

i can give more info if clarification is needed.  just wasnt' sure how to ask the question.

i have applications that require passwords and track where i am logged in and they are telling me that i have logged in from these places using my phone.

[KAPABLE-K]

Hello @Delta519,

Mobile phones is assigned an address by a process similar to DHCP by the mobile operator.

Every time the phone is restarted or even when moving across a network boundary that you're not even aware of, your IP address is likely to change.

[Delta519]

ok, would it be assigned to a place that is more than 4 or 5 hours from where i am?

[KAPABLE-K]

@Delta519 It should not but did you went to those cities or even close?

[Delta519]

no i would have been close to home.  

[KAPABLE-K]

Hello @Delta519,

You will need to give more info, what app are you using and what is it telling you?

[Delta519]

It is facebook.
Security and logins tell you where you have logged in and the type of device and dates and times and the ips Though I am not clear on when it tracks this because each log in is not listed.
Most of the locations are accurate (or close enough) with the exception of serval locations like Oshawa thunderbay area Vaughn Brampton etc.
I dI'd have one level of unknown devices notifications turned on. And not sure if I inadvertainly approved an unknown device. I know I can shut down the device and set a second level auth and change my password. Etc. But I need to know if it is possible that my phone would have assigned these. Being in this area without the best infrastructure I dont know if it is normal to assign me with an ip so far away.
I suspect someone had my password as i recognize the the locations. But I have to make sure this isn't just how my ips are assigned.

[KAPABLE-K]

Hello @Delta519,

It's highly unlikely for you to be assigned an IP from so far away, I would change the password to be on the safe side.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

This is correct. There is nothing wrong with Facebook or your location. You need to understand that Geo Location based off an IP Address is NOT 100% Accurate, especially for mobile networks.   For example, if you are a Fido user and you live in Oshawa and use the internet, then the next day, someone from thunder bay uses the internet on his cell phone, he may get the same IP address you had, its Dynamically assigned to anyone and changes as little or as often as the network determines.  

[Delta519]

oh.  thank you.  i did not know that.  i thought that blocks of ips were assigned to certain areas/regions and did not understand that an IP in toronto could later be assigned to someone in , say, london.

that may also explain why the locations for those logins i mentioned sometimes change...that is one day, it shows as oshawa, then 3 days later, that same instance of log in shows as thunder bay.