Google Thinks I'm in the UK.

Zarathustra[H]

Zarathustra[H]

Extremely [H]
Joined
Oct 29, 2000
Messages
38,849
This is really annoying.

I use PIA VPN for all my browsing. I switch between two of their servers, New York City and East Coast.

The IP address ranges they use appear to be standard US IP addresses. I have set my location preferences in googles search engine to U.S.

Still, for some reason over the last couple of weeks, I keep getting redirected to google.co.uk when I search, and primarily get UK based search results. This happens across all of my devices.

I should not here, that I am most definitely NOT in the UK. I am located near Boston.

It's driving me up a freaking wall. Why doesn't it just obey the settings I set? Why does it have to try to be smart and guess where I am, rather than just accepting where I tell it I am?

Has anyone else run into this? Does anyone have any suggestions?

I wish they would just stop it with this stupid AI logic. It always gets things wrong. Just keep it simple, with simple static settings. Don't assume I am in the UK, unless I tell you I am.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
This is really annoying.

I use PIA VPN for all my browsing. I switch between two of their servers, New York City and East Coast.

The IP address ranges they use appear to be standard US IP addresses. I have set my location preferences in googles search engine to U.S.

Still, for some reason over the last couple of weeks, I keep getting redirected to google.co.uk when I search, and primarily get UK based search results. This happens across all of my devices.

I should not here, that I am most definitely NOT in the UK. I am located near Boston.

It's driving me up a freaking wall. Why doesn't it just obey the settings I set? Why does it have to try to be smart and guess where I am, rather than just accepting where I tell it I am?

Has anyone else run into this? Does anyone have any suggestions?

I wish they would just stop it with this stupid AI logic. It always gets things wrong. Just keep it simple, with simple static settings. Don't assume I am in the UK, unless I tell you I am.
Click to expand...
Also use PIA VPN on east coast. Never had this issue. What is your public IP when connected to the VPN? Take that IP and put it in a Google search "who owns x.x.x.x", click one of the sites and read the ownership information.
Give us the public IP and the results of those steps. That should get us started.
 
FNtastic said:
Also use PIA VPN on east coast. Never had this issue. What is your public IP when connected to the VPN? Take that IP and put it in a Google search "who owns x.x.x.x", click one of the sites and read the ownership information.
Give us the public IP and the results of those steps. That should get us started.
Click to expand...

I didnt have much luck with the google search, so I did a "whois" instead:

Code: 
$ whois 194.59.251.229
% This is the RIPE Database query service.
% The objects are in RPSL format.
%
% The RIPE Database is subject to Terms and Conditions.
% See http://www.ripe.net/db/support/db-terms-conditions.pdf

% Note: this output has been filtered.
%       To receive output for a database update, use the "-B" flag.

% Information related to '194.59.251.0 - 194.59.251.255'

% Abuse contact for '194.59.251.0 - 194.59.251.255' is '[email protected]'

inetnum:        194.59.251.0 - 194.59.251.255
netname:        M24Seven-NEW-JERSEY
descr:          M24Seven New Jersey Infrastructure
country:        US
geoloc:         40.7836 -74.0972
org:            ORG-MLA34-RIPE
mnt-routes:     GLOBALAXS-MNT
mnt-domains:    GLOBALAXS-MNT
admin-c:        GBXS33-RIPE
tech-c:         GBXS33-RIPE
status:         ASSIGNED PA
mnt-by:         GLOBALAXS-MNT
remarks:        ----------------------- LEGAL CONCERNS ----------------
remarks:        For any legal requests, please send an email to
remarks:        [email protected] for a maximum 48hours response.
remarks:        ----------------------- LEGAL CONCERNS ----------------
created:        2018-08-01T15:19:04Z
last-modified:  2018-08-01T15:19:04Z
source:         RIPE

organisation:   ORG-MLA34-RIPE
org-name:       M247 Ltd New Jersey
org-type:       OTHER
address:        275 Hartz Way 1st Floor
address:        Secaucus NJ US 07094
abuse-c:        ME5262-RIPE
mnt-ref:        GLOBALAXS-MNT
mnt-by:         GLOBALAXS-MNT
created:        2018-07-13T13:35:02Z
last-modified:  2018-07-13T13:35:02Z
source:         RIPE # Filtered

role:           GLOBALAXS New Jersey NOC
address:        275 Hartz Way 1st Floor
address:        Secaucus NJ US 07094
nic-hdl:        GBXS33-RIPE
mnt-by:         GLOBALAXS-MNT
created:        2018-07-13T13:38:36Z
last-modified:  2018-07-13T13:38:36Z
source:         RIPE # Filtered

% Information related to '194.59.251.0/24AS9009'

route:          194.59.251.0/24
origin:         AS9009
mnt-by:         GLOBALAXS-MNT
created:        2018-08-01T15:19:16Z
last-modified:  2018-08-01T15:19:16Z
source:         RIPE

% This query was served by the RIPE Database Query Service version 1.92.6 (ANGUS)

Nothing UK based in there...
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
I didnt have much luck with the google search, so I did a "whois" instead:

Code: 
$ whois 194.59.251.229
% This is the RIPE Database query service.
% The objects are in RPSL format.
%
% The RIPE Database is subject to Terms and Conditions.
% See http://www.ripe.net/db/support/db-terms-conditions.pdf

% Note: this output has been filtered.
%       To receive output for a database update, use the "-B" flag.

% Information related to '194.59.251.0 - 194.59.251.255'

% Abuse contact for '194.59.251.0 - 194.59.251.255' is '[email protected]'

inetnum:        194.59.251.0 - 194.59.251.255
netname:        M24Seven-NEW-JERSEY
descr:          M24Seven New Jersey Infrastructure
country:        US
geoloc:         40.7836 -74.0972
org:            ORG-MLA34-RIPE
mnt-routes:     GLOBALAXS-MNT
mnt-domains:    GLOBALAXS-MNT
admin-c:        GBXS33-RIPE
tech-c:         GBXS33-RIPE
status:         ASSIGNED PA
mnt-by:         GLOBALAXS-MNT
remarks:        ----------------------- LEGAL CONCERNS ----------------
remarks:        For any legal requests, please send an email to
remarks:        [email protected] for a maximum 48hours response.
remarks:        ----------------------- LEGAL CONCERNS ----------------
created:        2018-08-01T15:19:04Z
last-modified:  2018-08-01T15:19:04Z
source:         RIPE

organisation:   ORG-MLA34-RIPE
org-name:       M247 Ltd New Jersey
org-type:       OTHER
address:        275 Hartz Way 1st Floor
address:        Secaucus NJ US 07094
abuse-c:        ME5262-RIPE
mnt-ref:        GLOBALAXS-MNT
mnt-by:         GLOBALAXS-MNT
created:        2018-07-13T13:35:02Z
last-modified:  2018-07-13T13:35:02Z
source:         RIPE # Filtered

role:           GLOBALAXS New Jersey NOC
address:        275 Hartz Way 1st Floor
address:        Secaucus NJ US 07094
nic-hdl:        GBXS33-RIPE
mnt-by:         GLOBALAXS-MNT
created:        2018-07-13T13:38:36Z
last-modified:  2018-07-13T13:38:36Z
source:         RIPE # Filtered

% Information related to '194.59.251.0/24AS9009'

route:          194.59.251.0/24
origin:         AS9009
mnt-by:         GLOBALAXS-MNT
created:        2018-08-01T15:19:16Z
last-modified:  2018-08-01T15:19:16Z
source:         RIPE

% This query was served by the RIPE Database Query Service version 1.92.6 (ANGUS)

Nothing UK based in there...
Click to expand...
Nice

Did you try in incognito/private mode in your browser?
 
Google’s location works through your DNS. Google will return different addresses for google.com based on where the DNS request originates from.

The problem lies with the DNS server you are using.
 
I don't use a VPN but this has happened to me with both Chrome and Edge. They change my location from time to time.
 
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