IPv6 and Geo IP

[ravenstar]

Can anyone offer any advice.

When I have my IPv6 tunnel up and running - Facebook decides I am posting from California

While I understand IP addresses aren't linked to specific localities - Geo-IP providers appear to have decided that in many cases they can guesstimate the location.  Presumably because this is a HE.net range they've linked it to the location of the comapanies HQ in Fremont

While the Facebook issue is more amusing than anything.  It get's stranger when I use Netflix.

Despite connecting using the same IPv4 address Netflix now decides that it should be sending me information about what is on it's American servers.  This might not be so bad, except for the fact that when I try streaming, it suddenly realises I am in the UK and throws up a something Went wrong error.

Netflix's support answer was laughable.  Essentially we can't help you and you shouldn't use your tunnel if it's causing you problems.

Anyone know how to resolve this?

Ravenstar68

[mattwilson9090]

Which HE tunnel are you using? Is it the Fremont tunnel? Various sites think I'm in San Diego, where my tunnel is located, or the rough area where I live. I've always assumed it's because they are receiving IPv6 or IPv4 traffic.

It sounds as if Netflix is now receiving and send at least some traffic via IPv6, but not all. I generally consider that to be a good thing, but it could cause complications for people using things like tunnel's. Sort of the reverse of why some people use VPN's to access Netflix.

How was Netflix's answer laughable? I agree, if the tunnel is causing you problems, you shouldn't use it.

I don't know which tunnel you are using, but if the one you are using is in the UK you might be able to submit a support request with HE and get them to update or correct the geolocation data. Otherwise you'll either have to live with it, or stop using IPv6 when you want to use Netflix. You could also look into getting native IPv6 with from your ISP.
If you're using a different tunnel the geolocation data may not be set up to identify the location of where that tunnel is, so is somehow defaulting back to Fremont.





It's not because of the where HE's headquarters is located, it's because of where your tunnel is located. Many places think I'm in San Diego for the same reason.

Which HE tunnel are you using?

[ravenstar]

I'm using the London based Tunnel endpoint

[mattwilson9090]

Sorry for the repetitive reply. It looks like I lost track of what I was writing and didn't edit it well.

Using the London tunnel should give you IPv6 a London area geolocation, not in California. You should open a support ticket with HE to see if they can look in to this.

In the meantime, if you want to use Netflix without interruption you'll need to disable your tunnel or IPv6 on the device you are watching with.

[broquea]

all of HE's /32 is ARIN based not RIPE. unless the geoip database used knows that a particular range from ARIN is getting used in London, UK, it'll probably default to ARIN records.

[ravenstar]

And this is why GeoIP is a pain.

Although IP's are registered by specific registries, there's nothing to stop companies taking those IP's and using them in a different country.

Ravenstar68

[kcochran]

GeoIP is a pain since the organizations who try to do it often don't follow sub-entries, or rWHOIS services, or even pay attention to the RIR entry in the first place.  Never mind other potentially simple tests, such as latency from known locations.

That said, we publish rwhois data on tunnels, with general anonymity parameters as permitted by ARIN's NRPM for residential allocations on all tunnel assignments.  We even support the self-published geofeed draft[2] which seems to have died in committee, but Google is aware of, and should still be using the feed.

[1] https://www.arin.net/policy/nrpm.html#four2371
[2] https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-google-self-published-geofeeds-02

[ravenstar]

Actually my post possibly came across wrongly there.

I wasn't having ago at he.net or even Virgin Media who are my ISP.  (Although I do wish they along with other UK ISP's would pull their fingers out and implement IPv6, particularly as DOCSIS 3 already supports dual stacking).  It was squarely aimed at the Geo IP providers.

It does make for some fun times though.  I remember when trialling the Superhub 2 the Geo IP had me pegged as being in Swansea, Cardiff or London, depending on which of the providers did the lookup :).  And I've seen a v4 tracert that appeared to jump from London ->Texas and back to London again.

Happy days.

Ravenstar68

[gbshouse]

@kcochran - how can we access geofeed data?