Bit of a random Question..

How do websites know where your located?

Where do they get the info from?

I.e "meet people near you" and then names the surrounding villages etc.

Just a bit scary big brother ish!

every computer has a unique address, called a IP address. i wont go into static and dynamic addresses for this reply as its way overkill

Every country is allocated a range of IP address's. and if your address is within this range they have narrowed you down to the country. Every ISP (Internet Service Provider) is allocated a subrange of the countries range of IP addresses and in turn they allocate them down to a more local level (relating to there server centres, which allocate them to your computer.

Basically, with each allocation of a subrange the area gets more specific, once you have the data of where is where you can then use the IP address to target adverts

What a Cracking answer.

I'd forgotten about the i.p addresses was thinking it must be something on my computer broaddcasting it that oughto be stopped!

Cheers!

I didn't believe IP's where allocated via country but just via ISP. ISP's then allocate in areas as its easier to manage.

Edited to say, This is supposed to be a question, not a statement.

[Edited on 25/11/06 by MikeR]

For Europe, allocation is done by RIPE

http://www.ripe.net/whois

[Edited on 25/11/06 by stevebubs]