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Computer Support For Individuals And Small Business |
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10/20/10 |
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How Does A Website Know The Vicinity Where You Live? |
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Q - A.L. from Arvada, CO. asks: Sometimes I go to a website and an ad pops up that seems to know the vicinity where I live! How do they know? Sometimes it's the exact city in which I live and other times it's a nearby suburb, but either way it's a little weird. I clean out the cookies on my browser regularly, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. Am I doing something wrong?
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A: No, you're not doing anything wrong. It's actually very straightforward. When your computer connects to the internet it does so through a computer called a server as determined by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The server assigns you a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address for your session on the internet.
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Most Internet Service Providers (ISP's) use many different servers located in a particular service area. When you access the internet you may be directed to any one of those on any particular occasion. Therefore, your IP address will not always be exactly the same.
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For instance, when you log in for the first time during the day, the server through which you access the internet may be associated with Denver. The next time it might be Littleton (a suburb of Denver).
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When you visit a website you are giving it tidbits of information in order for it to send you the webpage you're looking for. One of those is the IP address assigned by the server. That general location can be determined by that IP address.
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That is why you sometimes see ads on the website that reference either the city you live in or one nearby based on where the server is located. Therefore, an ad may appear referring to Denver the first time, and the second time the same ad might reference Littleton. Of course, not all websites use this technique, but some certainly do.
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The website only knows the location associated with the server, not your specific address. Here's how it works. Your current IP address will be displayed along with the server's location. Try again later, after you have logged off the internet for a while, and you'll likely see a different IP address. |
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