My location... on a desktop without GPS

[ErikJan]

I have a desktop PC with a cabled connection. The system also supports WiFi, but that's turned off normally.

If I open Google Maps and find my location, I see that it's about 1 km off (and when a friend tested this, for him it was >10 km off). Resetting the router didn't help.
Weirdly enough, if I enable WiFi (next to the cabled connection), my location adjusts (but it's stil about 1 km off). If I then disable WiFi again, the 'new' position doesn't change anymore.

What happens here? How does a system on a fixed location (like a desktop, without GPS) determine it's position? I'm guessing via the IP address somehow? But how does that explain the behavior sketched above?

(and off topic: what happens when I run my system with both a cabled connection and WiFi?? The rate limiting step if my Router bandwidth I guess)

[HansV]

Disclaimer: the following is guesswork.

A desktop PC derives your location from the IP address it uses to connect to the internet, but the accuracy is variable. The lookup tables usually have a location for a block of IP addresses, not for individual addresses. Depending on where you are, that block might cover a smaller or larger area. Hence the difference between your experience and that of your friend.

If you turn on WiFi, the WiFi adapter polls nearby WiFi access points. This may result in a more accurate location, but if all those access points use the same IP address block, it won't make a difference.

[ErikJan]

Thanks. Here's what happened to my friend. As said, his location was >10 km off. I suggested earlier today he should switch-on WiFi (extra).
Immediately his location improved until it was almost spot-on.
When he switched WiFi off again, the location was back >10 km off...

And now I need to correct my earlier post: when I check Google Maps with WiFi off, also here I see my original 'cabled only' location.

Both situation might still be explained by your explanation I guess. I'm also guessing the WiFi of my friends can see (much) more other WiFi radio's than I can here.

[StuartR]

It is possible to use the MAC address of the router to identify where you are. I believe that Google mapping vehicles log information about any WiFi routers that they detect to assist with this. See for example this article https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-ex ... i-fi-data/

[ErikJan]

Oops, I'm sorry. In my last post I said: "I suggested earlier today he should switch-on WiFi (extra). Immediately his location improved until it was almost spot-on. When he switched WiFi off again, the location was back >10 km off..."

I was wrong... it's the opposite: we always had wired and WiFi active. When he disabled WiFi the location was spot-on. When he re-enabled WiFi it was wrong again. So WiFi made it worse, not better. Weird

[HansV]

Weird indeed.

[ErikJan]

I'll try another forum as well to see what I can learn there. If anything useful comes back, I'll report here again.

[ErikJan]

FYI - I found no more useful info. This remains somewhat weird.