How to Verify Your Location with Traceroute?

Have you noticed that GeoIP websites sometimes show the wrong location for your server or IP address? That’s completely normal — and here’s why.

GeoIP is a technology that estimates your location based on your IP address. It’s useful, but not always reliable. In this guide, we’ll explain how GeoIP works, why the results may vary, and how to trace your actual network path using the traceroute tool.

🧠 How Does GeoIP Work?

GeoIP services rely on multiple data sources to associate IP addresses with locations. These include:

1️⃣ WHOIS Data

• WHOIS is a public database with details about IP address ownership.
• GeoIP providers often extract location info from it.
• ⚠️ However, the address shown might be that of the ISP or company, not the actual device location.

2️⃣ Regional Internet Registries (RIRs)

• There are 5 global registries: ARIN, RIPE NCC, APNIC, LACNIC, AFRINIC.
• They assign IP blocks based on region — which helps indicate general location.
• This doesn't always reflect where the IP is currently being used.

3️⃣ User-Contributed Data

• Some providers accept feedback from users about incorrect locations.
• This crowdsourced info improves accuracy over time — but it’s not always consistent.

4️⃣ Third-Party APIs & Data Aggregators

• Many services pull from GPS data, mobile apps, ISPs, and commercial sources.
• Still, no method guarantees 100% accuracy.

❗ Can You Trust GeoIP Results?

Not entirely. These tools give a general idea, but they're often off — especially for:

• Hosting providers and datacenters
• VPN or proxy users
• Recently reassigned IPs

For a more reliable check, we recommend using traceroute to see your actual connection path.

🛠️ How to Use Traceroute (Check Your Network Route)

Traceroute shows the full path your internet connection takes — step by step — from your device to a target IP or domain.

🪟 On Windows

1. Press Windows + R, type cmd, then press Enter.
2. In the Command Prompt, type:
   tracert example.com
   👉 Replace example.com with any domain or IP (e.g., 1.1.1.1).
3. You’ll see a list of hops — each one representing a stop between your PC and the destination.

🍎 On macOS / 🐧 Linux

1. Open your Terminal.

• On macOS: Applications > Utilities > Terminal
• On Linux: any terminal emulator

2. Type:
   traceroute example.com
3. You’ll get the same hop-by-hop breakdown as on Windows.

🎉 In summary, GeoIP tools are useful for general location checks, but not always accurate. For real insights, tools like traceroute show what’s really happening on the network.

Updated on: 03/04/2025