Superhub wrong location on superhub 2 wifi

neils · 03-03-2016, 15:29

Last week I got a replacement router, super hub 2, to replace old router which never worked properly. The new router was needed to get the free speed increase to 150mb. One router was delivered by engineer last Thurs. Another was delivered on Monday.

Although android phone location services have worked fine using wifi for years, showing me at my home address and giving local weather, that is not the case with these two routers.

The first reports my location in Woking. The second shows me located in Leicester, even giving me an exact street address and house number ! I attempted to discuss this with virgin tech support, about a widely reported issue in forums. The person (tony or tom I think) denied any knowledge of the problem, claiming he'd never heard of it in '00s of calls, and trying to blame me. When I objected to this he quickly hung up the phone.

I assume Virgin are recycling second-hand routers and calling them new. Do you think the previous owner in Leicester is happy their home address is showing ? This location issue was never a problem before.

But does anyone know how to fix the location problem ? My android phone should give local weather, google maps showing where I live etc.. Oh, it does all work fine when not connected to the superhub wifi e.g. on 3G network at home, or when I go out to any other wifi location. Just the replacement superhub in my own house

MUD_Wizard · 03-03-2016, 16:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by neils

The first reports my location in Woking. The second shows me located in Leicester, even giving me an exact street address and house number ! I attempted to discuss this with virgin tech support, about a widely reported issue in forums. The person (tony or tom I think) denied any knowledge of the problem, claiming he'd never heard of it in '00s of calls, and trying to blame me. When I objected to this he quickly hung up the phone.

Virgin are not responsible and do not have control of where various web sites or apps (in the case of your Android phone) think you're located.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neils

I assume Virgin are recycling second-hand routers and calling them new. Do you think the previous owner in Leicester is happy their home address is showing ? This location issue was never a problem before.

If it was a new router or not it wouldn't make any difference.

Your understanding of how location works is incorrect.

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5...s/td-p/3039178

Quote:

Originally Posted by neils

But does anyone know how to fix the location problem ? My android phone should give local weather, google maps showing where I live etc.. Oh, it does all work fine when not connected to the superhub wifi e.g. on 3G network at home, or when I go out to any other wifi location. Just the replacement superhub in my own house

Read and follow the instructions in all the posts by Ravenstar in this thread to fix your location: https://community.virginmedia.com/t5...e/td-p/3048343

.

Synthetic · 03-03-2016, 16:13

Sounds like you've got a new IP with the new hub, and that IP's geolocation info is incorrect.

My IP points to somewhere in Cardiff, I'm in Newcastle.

neils · 03-03-2016, 17:48

Further research tells me Google geolocation database logs mac addresses, and assigns them a location. So both my virgin superhubs were previously at addresses in Woking and Leicester. Simplest solution to demand a brand new router from virgin, so it can register at my home address.

The fact none of their tech support know this, and choose to blame the customer is disgusting. If anyone else offered 150mb broadband I'd switch to them tomorrow. Maybe they do know this.

Kymmy · 03-03-2016, 18:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by neils

Further research tells me Google geolocation database logs mac addresses, and assigns them a location. So both my virgin superhubs were previously at addresses in Woking and Leicester. Simplest solution to demand a brand new router from virgin, so it can register at my home address.

The fact none of their tech support know this, and choose to blame the customer is disgusting. If anyone else offered 150mb broadband I'd switch to them tomorrow. Maybe they do know this.

Incorrect.

Although Macs are logged it's in relation to known IPs and connected locations of attached devices, doubtful if the hub's were elsewhere also doubtful if you could register a new MAC.

Just give it a bit of time and the Googlelocation (especially if you use a device with a GPS on Google maps whilst connected to the router) will automatically sync into the location.

VM won't and can't help you as already stated in the other posts

My new SH3 took 48 hours to sync where as my sh2ac took 3 months

sollp · 03-03-2016, 18:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by neils

Further research tells me Google geolocation database logs mac addresses, and assigns them a location. So both my virgin superhubs were previously at addresses in Woking and Leicester. Simplest solution to demand a brand new router from virgin, so it can register at my home address.

The fact none of their tech support know this, and choose to blame the customer is disgusting. If anyone else offered 150mb broadband I'd switch to them tomorrow. Maybe they do know this.

"Demand"....

neils · 03-03-2016, 19:41

Some virgin apologists in here. I did demand a new router that has not been at someone else's address, and one is on its way. The mac address is logged by Google, and if the router moves the location doesn't... maybe for a long time. That's the problem. So stop the false info and time wasting advice such as raven in the virgin forum...

sollp · 03-03-2016, 20:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by neils

Some virgin apologists in here. I did demand a new router that has not been at someone else's address, and one is on its way. The mac address is logged by Google, and if the router moves the location doesn't... maybe for a long time. That's the problem. So stop the false info and time wasting advice such as raven in the virgin forum...

Ok demand away then

MUD_Wizard · 03-03-2016, 20:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by neils

Some virgin apologists in here. I did demand a new router that has not been at someone else's address, and one is on its way. The mac address is logged by Google, and if the router moves the location doesn't... maybe for a long time. That's the problem. So stop the false info and time wasting advice such as raven in the virgin forum...

You asked a question and everybody gave you the correct answer. The fact you don't like it and believe something that is patently wrong is not our problem. You're the only time-waster here giving false info based on bad research.

MAC addresses are not sent over the internet, so cannot be used for location purposes. On cable IP addresses are assigned dynamically from a pool. When you plug in a new Superhub (refurbed or brand new) it's allocated a random IP address from that pool. So naturally the location given by geo location databases will be tied to that IP address.

Stuart · 03-03-2016, 20:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by neils

Some virgin apologists in here. I did demand a new router that has not been at someone else's address, and one is on its way. The mac address is logged by Google, and if the router moves the location doesn't... maybe for a long time. That's the problem. So stop the false info and time wasting advice such as raven in the virgin forum...

Not false at all...

It's very technical, as it's intended to enable developers to use Google's geolocation API (which is what many apps use to find your location, on Android, on iOS and on the web), but Google's own documentation says it uses a list of local Cell towers and a list of local WiFi MAC addresses. https://developers.google.com/maps/d...location/intro. If enough users pass a certain MAC address in a different location to that Google have registered for it, Google update their registered location.

Also, Virgin don't necessarily guarantee you new equipment. They DO refurbish and re-use customer equipment. I've been told by many engineers that regardless of what the customer service rep says, if you have an engineer visit, you can only get what they have in the van, which may be all refurb units.

horseman · 04-03-2016, 05:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart

Not false at all...

It's very technical, .....

Hence another classic user example of "Damnant quod non intelligunt" !

One has to give some credit to VM CS for shutting the user

up by dispatching a replacement Shub though?

EDIT: ..yet had his reverse DNS host name mapped to another town more than say 40km away then he might have had some justifiable cause for complaint?

neils · 04-03-2016, 08:14

Like I said, both routers are giving someone else's address, one router in Woking and the other in Leicester. That's where they were before, not random.

This thread discusses the problem in detail... https://productforums.google.com/for...ps/NfH94fJ6KUU

vm_tech · 04-03-2016, 08:58

My opinion is that this is down to Google? They are the ones using the MAC address to link to a location, so it would need to be updated on their database?

neils · 04-03-2016, 09:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by vm_tech

My opinion is that this is down to Google? They are the ones using the MAC address to link to a location, so it would need to be updated on their database?

Yes, that is probably why virgin disclaim any responsibility (though they told me they'd never heard of this problem before). It would seem the Google database may update, using one of the techniques mentioned earlier in this thread, in a period of 48 hours to 3 months. But a brand new router, not previously registered elsewhere would appear to be the best solution, and yesterday eve I received an email from virgin saying they are sending me one... believe it when I see it. Then I'll have three routers, and work out how to return them. If the new router does immediately since the problem, I'll be sure to update this thread.

Ignitionnet · 04-03-2016, 14:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by horseman

One has to give some credit to VM CS for shutting the user

up by dispatching a replacement Shub though?

You're too nice. I give them zero points for dispatching 2 replacements and an appropriate amount of disdain for twice over pandering to an unreasonable request; something that will almost inevitably lead to further unreasonable requests.