geolocationdatabase

A geolocation database is a data store that associates geographic locations and related attributes with identifiers such as IP addresses, domain names, or device identifiers. In practice, IP geolocation databases are most common, linking IP addresses to country, region, city, coordinates, time zone, ISP, and organization.

Data is obtained from multiple sources, including registry and routing data, network measurements, logs, user-contributed data, and third-party compilations. Records consist of mappings from IP prefixes to locations, often accompanied by accuracy estimates, confidence scores, and timestamps.

The data is structured as a table of IP prefixes mapped to geographic attributes. Some entries also include ASN, ISP, connection type, and mobile vs. fixed-line indicators. Location granularity ranges from country-level to city-level, with coordinates sometimes provided.

Maintenance is ongoing to reflect changes in allocations and deployments. Databases are updated on daily or weekly cycles, with varying levels of precision. Privacy-preserving practices include data minimization and, in some cases, anonymization of location details.

Limitations include inaccuracies, especially at the city level, and the effects of proxies, VPNs, NAT, and mobile networks. Data quality depends on source coverage and update frequency, and there are legal and ethical considerations around storing location data.

Common applications include content localization, access control, fraud detection, usage analytics, and targeted advertising. Geolocation databases are used by online services, network operators, and researchers to infer geographic patterns from digital traffic. See also IP geolocation, GeoIP, and location-based services.