Table of Contents
A network estimate
An IP address identifies a network connection, not a person or an exact device position. City estimates can be wrong or unavailable. VPNs, mobile networks, address reassignment and shared gateways can all change the relationship between an IP and the device using it.
Do not treat a map pin as a street address or use an estimate as the only evidence for a consequential decision. See Sources and Licenses for current providers and source limitations. The current API does not expose a geo-db.org release identity; that migration remains pending.
Learning from speed-test.org
speed-test.org accepts location corrections. With browser permission, it can submit device coordinates and their reported accuracy alongside the IP-based estimate. Sharing device location is optional.
These observations can reveal errors that comparing two providers would miss. They are review leads: a device location is not automatically the location of its network's public exit point. The automatic connection from submissions to reviewed benchmarks and database changes remains planned.
The intended process checks permission, uncertainty and network context; reviews proposed changes; freezes approved inputs; and evaluates the candidate against separate held-out observations. Evidence used to improve a release must not also establish its claimed accuracy. Public quality reports contain aggregates, never individual IP addresses or device coordinates.
The geo-db.org methodology explains the review and evaluation design. A reviewed real-world benchmark and calibrated quality thresholds are still needed before production accuracy claims can be made.
Thank you for contributing
Useful feedback includes the expected city or region and context that helps a reviewer understand the discrepancy. Follow the correction flow on speed-test.org; avoid posting precise device coordinates or other private information in public issues.