---
title: "Why doesn't Spur's IP location match other geolocation sources?"
type: "faq"
url: "https://docs.spur.us/knowledgebase/faqs/why-doesnt-spurs-ip-location-match-other-sources"
category: "Spur Platform & Data"
product: "general"
publishedAt: "2026-09-25T12:00:00.000Z"
updatedAt: "2026-10-16T13:55:13Z"
---

# Why doesn't Spur's IP location match other geolocation sources?

Many geolocation providers fall back to registration data, which is the address on an IP's WHOIS or regional registry record. That address shows where the network was registered, not where the IP is actually used. Spur geolocates IPs from active network measurement and from location data that network operators publish for their own ranges. So when the two disagree, Spur reports where the IP measures, not where it's registered. Anycast IPs, which are served from many locations at once, are labeled as anycast rather than assigned a single location.

## Extended answer

How Spur determines location

Spur measures IPs directly from its own network of probes in known locations. An IP that responds very quickly to a probe is physically close to it. Spur also uses location files that network operators publish for their own ranges (known as geofeeds), from a reviewed list of operators. Routing data (whether and where an IP range is announced on the internet) adds more context. Registration records are the weakest signal. They're treated as background information, never as proof of where an IP is located.

Why results can differ from other sources

Anycast. An anycast IP is announced from many locations at the same time, sometimes across dozens of countries, and each user reaches whichever location is nearest. There's no single correct location for these IPs, so Spur labels them as anycast. Other sources often show the registrant's headquarters instead, which is wrong for most of the traffic on that IP.

Registration and measurement disagree. An IP can be registered in one country and used in another, for example a cloud or proxy provider whose registration lists one office while the service runs from a data center elsewhere. Spur reports the measured location.

Not routed. If an IP range isn't announced on the internet, it isn't reachable and has no real location. Spur doesn't assign one based on registration data alone.

If you think Spur's location is wrong

Spur decides most locations per /24 range (256 consecutive IPs), and each IP in the range shares that answer. Some providers locate each IP individually, so a single IP can occasionally differ between the two. If you believe a location is incorrect, select the Report button (the warning-triangle icon) on the IP's page (or the ASN's page) in the Spur app. See "How do I dispute an incorrect IP or ASN geolocation?" for what to include. The most useful evidence is your own measurements, such as traceroute or latency results from a known location, or first-hand knowledge of where the network is hosted. A different provider's result or a registration record on its own isn't enough to change a measured location.

If you operate the network in question and publish a geofeed for it, include the geofeed URL in your report so our team can review it.

If anycast IPs are causing problems for your rules, such as location-based access controls, handle anycast traffic as its own case rather than forcing a single location onto it.