From: V@nguard.LH   
      
   Chris  wrote:   
      
   > VanguardLH  wrote:   
   >> Windows 10 has its location service, but I'm wondering why enable it.   
   >> It was disabled, I tried enabling it, but it doesn't help finding my   
   >> location.  As a test, and after enabling location, I went to Google Maps   
   >> and entered a restaurant some 10 miles away.  When I clicked on   
   >> Directions to specify start and end locations, there was a circle icon   
   >> to "Use your location".  Clicked on that, and got a prompt "Google Maps   
   >> wants to use your location".  In permissions, location is set to Ask.  I   
   >> click "Just this time", but the starting point was way way off from   
   >> where I am.   
   >>   
   >> Because my location was so far off, I have to wonder just how Microsoft   
   >> finds my location other than IP geolocation which doesn't require a site   
   >> to use Windows location services.  This is on a desktop PC.  No cellular   
   >> radio to connect to a tower.  No GPS radio.  Just how is Windows   
   >> location going to determine my location?  Doesn't seem it has anything   
   >> with which to determine my location other than by IP geolocation.   
   >>   
   >> https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-location-   
   ervice-and-privacy-3a8eee0a-5b0b-dc07-eede-2a5ca1c49088   
   >>   
   >> Timezone.  Really?  That's going to track my location?  A dozen a-bombs   
   >> could land in the same timezone and never hit me.   
   >>   
   >> Find my device.  Start -> Settings -> Update & Security -> Find my   
   >> device.  Other than IP geolocation, how is that going to work on desktop   
   >> PC with no cellular or GPS radios?   
   >>   
   >> With location and find my device enabled, I go to:   
   >>   
   >> https://account.microsoft.com/devices   
   >>   
   >> which says "Unknown - Location data isn't available".   
   >>   
   >> GPS. No GPS radio in my desktop PC.   
   >>   
   >> Nearby wireless access points.  I have some wifi devices connected to my   
   >> wifi cable modem, but not my desktop PC.   
   >>   
   >> Cell towers.  It's a desktop PC, not a smartphone.   
   >>   
   >> IP address.  Yep, they can use that, but it highly inaccurate.  What a   
   >> site would see is the WAN-side IP address specified by my ISP's DHCP   
   >> server for the cable modem which uses a NAT router.  With Windows   
   >> location disabled, my IP address is still known. When I use several IP   
   >> geolocation sites, each gives a different location resulting in a span   
   >> of about a 15-mile radius, or an area of 706 square miles.   
   >>   
   >> Some folks are paranoid about revealing their location to web sites that   
   >> want it for a service they provide, or to track them.  However, for a   
   >> desktop PC, there is no difference when Windows location is enabled, or   
   >> not.   
   >>   
   >> Seems superfluous to waste CPU cycles on a feature that is ineffective,   
   >> so I disabled it again.   
   >>   
   >   
   > If all you have is a wired connection then I'm impressed it got that close.   
   > Mine is hundreds of miles out usually.   
   >   
   > As you say, it's useless.   
      
   Sometimes within 15 miles.  Sometimes to another state some city over   
   400 miles away.  Without GPS, cellular radio, or other means of locating   
   my desktop PC, the only means left is IP geolocation.  My grocery store,   
   for example, thinks I'm 50 miles away, but that varies each time I log   
   in.  Not until I login can they use my saved address to know which store   
   is the appropriate one that is "nearby".   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)