Websites think my connection is from outside the UK

nheather

Outstanding Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
23,168
Reaction score
14,276
Points
6,757
Location
Horsham, West Sussex
Occasionally, when browsing, my family get little indications that websites that we are browsing to think that we are connecting from outside the UK.

Examples include

  • When ordering flowers for delivery from the Marks and Spencer website getting an alert that she was ordering from Spain
  • My wife being unable to book tickets for our local theatre because they don't take booking from outside the UK
  • When visiting some international sites with multi-language support the language and currency default to German or Dutch
  • Trying to browser to a UK-based retailer (Barwell BodyWorks-shop - Barwell UK Airbrush Supplies) and getting a 503 message saying "You cannot access this site from your country"

This happens on different devices using different browsers and different operating systems. It happens whether we are using the WiFi or wired-ethernet.

The real 'smoking gun' is testing with our mobile phones.

With them connecting through WiFi access is blocked because it thinks we are outside the UK, but turning off WiFi and using the phone data signal and it gets through fine.

So not individual devices so must be down to a common element

  • Router/Modem
  • IP Address
  • ISP networking
I have raised this before with my ISP and again today. In the past they have been absolutely clueless, I've not heard back from today's enquiry but to be honest I'm expecting more of the same.

Any ideas? Anyone seen anything similar.

I have checked my assigned IP on IPLocation and it shows the UK - so I think the IP is okay.

I fear that it is the networking and routing that the ISP use.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
Try different browsers, for instance Opera has a built in VPN which if active could tell servers your in a different location. Also clear cache, a rogue cookie could be at fault.
 
Try different browsers, for instance Opera has a built in VPN which if active could tell servers your in a different location. Also clear cache, a rogue cookie could be at fault.
Tried lots.

Chrome and Edge on my wired-ethernet connected PC
Safari on my WiFi connected iPad
Chrome on my WiFi connected android phone
Safari on my wife’s WiFi connected iPhone

Website thinks these are outside the UK

Chrome on my 4G connected android phone
Safari on my wife’s 4G connected iPhone

Both these work fine, website thinks these are in the UK

This is not a computer, OS or browser issue.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
Sounds like an issue with your IP address, despite being a UK one. Which ISP are you with? Is it one of the smaller ones by any chance?

If you have a dynamic IP then I suggest leaving the router/modem powered off for at least 30 mins which should give you a new IP address assuming your ISP dont issue 'sticky' dynamic IPs.

If you have a static IP (ie fixed) then ask the tech support to issue you with a new static IP.

If getting a different IP address doesn't fix this then perhaps its time to start looking for a new ISP.
 
It’s your IP address - ISPs buy new addresses on the regular, often from other countries.

As they’re reassigned to a U.K. location, website take a while to update.

It used to happen to my, and currently happens to my dad, where his geolocation for some sites shows as Romania.
 
My ISP is a smaller one - in fact dealing with them I’m not even convinced they are a true ISP, more of a reseller.

The ISP is Hey Broadband (one of the many small fibre suppliers popping up). I think they are reselling the F&W Networks product.

They seem to have changed my IP - previously when I rebooted my router I would get a different IP but recently they have ‘done something’ and now I get the same IP back every time.

I have been speaking the UK-based business that is given me the issue in the attached screenshot. They have said that the issue may not be a geographical one (despite what it says) as their IT Support have said that my connection was hitting them 30 times in quick succession each time I tried to access their website.

Cheers,

Nigel
 

Attachments

  • C7E28262-6973-4A0A-9F4D-C0E914AD956D.jpeg
    C7E28262-6973-4A0A-9F4D-C0E914AD956D.jpeg
    335.9 KB · Views: 93
Last edited:
No issues here accessing that website - on both my BT and TalkTalk lines. Though I'm surprised they can't tell the difference between patient and patience

Capture.jpg


The issue is clearly with your ISP, question is will they bother fixing their IP addresses?
 
No issues here accessing that website - on both my BT and TalkTalk lines. Though I'm surprised they can't tell the difference between patient and patience

Capture.jpg


The issue is clearly with your ISP, question is will they bother fixing their IP addresses?

Agreed, as I said in my original post, if I use my Android phone with WiFi enabled I get the 503 error but if I disable WiFi and use 4G it gets through fine.

Definitely something to do with the ISP or possibly the IP address.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
I have raised this before with my ISP and again today. In the past they have been absolutely clueless
To be honest, that alone would be enough to make me change to a new ISP unless I was stuck in a contract.
 
Agreed, as I said in my original post, if I use my Android phone with WiFi enabled I get the 503 error but if I disable WiFi and use 4G it gets through fine.

Definitely something to do with the ISP or possibly the IP address.

Cheers,

Nigel
Hi Nigel

Did you ever get this issue fixed? Did you find the cause? What router were you using? I'm having similar issues with my TP-Link router.

Steve
 
Hi Nigel

Did you ever get this issue fixed? Did you find the cause? What router were you using? I'm having similar issues with my TP-Link router.

Steve
Yes and no.

It is because my ISP (Hey Broadband - or more correctly F&W who provides the network behind the scenes) are using recycled IP addresses. They buy up whatever is going cheap and these could have been used originally in Spain, Germany, USA etc. They do register them as UK-based IP addresses and that works for most websites that use real time GeoIP lookup but some sites use a GeoIP database that they don't update that often - it is those sites that are problematic because they think my connection is coming in from Germany or Spain.

It is not a big issue but some sites automatically set up language, currency, shipping destination so you have to change them each time you visit.

They did get me a genuine UK IP but there was something not setup correctly with it and it prevented me from accessing some sites altogether.

I now have an IP that was originally US based - so still have some of the issues but at least the sites are always presented in English now.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
I have the same issue.

IP address on “where’s my IP location” always puts me in London.

But many websites put me in Spain, Germany, US, it seems to be random by day.

Tonight BT Sport won’t let me in 😣😣
 
I have the same issue.

IP address on “where’s my IP location” always puts me in London.

But many websites put me in Spain, Germany, US, it seems to be random by day.

Tonight BT Sport won’t let me in 😣😣
IP addresses do get reallocated to get different countries and regions, its not common but it does happen. Also a lot of the services doing geo-location are automated so there is always a change of error. Finally the browser can also report back false information so its not always down to geo-location service.

Without getting server logs its impossible to pin point the problem.
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom