In message , at 16:23:16 on
Wed, 12 Feb 2014, Graham Harrison
remarked:
Finally, I assume that the "current location" only works if you are on
public Wi-Fi or 3G and not on fixed line BB.

If you are using private wifi (with a broadcast, and hence public, SSID)
it could know too. In fact I think all it normally takes is for your
laptop to have its wifi switched on, and be able to "see" some SSIDs,
even if the connectivity being used is BB.

Yes, it works from my iPad, but not from my cable-connected PC (both
using the same wireless router).

I wonder if it's linked to GPS in devices like a mobile phone/iPad?

If it's switched on, yes. We were examining the situation where it
isn't.

When I use my desktop which is wired to my BT broadband various
websites that try and guess my position seem to think I'm almost
anywhere between Somerset and London; it varies day to day.

Is it ever 'right' (ie within a couple of hundred yards).

It's possible they are using IP-address based geolocation, which
basically doesn't work at all given the UK's Internet characteristics
[Broadband users are almost always 'registered' to some sort of NOC up
to hundreds of miles away. Sometimes the details won't have been updated
after corporate takeovers, and some small ISPs deliberately obfuscate
the information leading to variable results].
--
Roland Perry

"Graham Harrison" wrote:
"Recliner" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 10 Feb 2014 07:48:56 +0000, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message , at 22:04:44 on Sun, 9 Feb
2014, tim..... remarked:
Finally, I assume that the "current location" only works if you are on
public Wi-Fi or 3G and not on fixed line BB.

If you are using private wifi (with a broadcast, and hence public, SSID)
it could know too. In fact I think all it normally takes is for your
laptop to have its wifi switched on, and be able to "see" some SSIDs,
even if the connectivity being used is BB.

Yes, it works from my iPad, but not from my cable-connected PC (both
using the same wireless router).

I wonder if it's linked to GPS in devices like a mobile phone/iPad?
When I use my desktop which is wired to my BT broadband various websites
that try and guess my position seem to think I'm almost anywhere between
Somerset and London; it varies day to day.

No, my iPad doesn't have GPS. I think it's something to do with the
wireless connection. I think, as you say, wired connection locations are
much less precise.

On 12/02/2014 16:57, Recliner wrote:
"Graham Harrison" wrote:
"Recliner" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 10 Feb 2014 07:48:56 +0000, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message , at 22:04:44 on Sun, 9 Feb
2014, tim..... remarked:
Finally, I assume that the "current location" only works if you are on
public Wi-Fi or 3G and not on fixed line BB.

If you are using private wifi (with a broadcast, and hence public, SSID)
it could know too. In fact I think all it normally takes is for your
laptop to have its wifi switched on, and be able to "see" some SSIDs,
even if the connectivity being used is BB.

Yes, it works from my iPad, but not from my cable-connected PC (both
using the same wireless router).

I wonder if it's linked to GPS in devices like a mobile phone/iPad?
When I use my desktop which is wired to my BT broadband various websites
that try and guess my position seem to think I'm almost anywhere between
Somerset and London; it varies day to day.

No, my iPad doesn't have GPS. I think it's something to do with the
wireless connection. I think, as you say, wired connection locations are
much less precise.

Wasn't one of the things that Google was doing when doing street view
was to hoover up all SSID and related information so they could use it
for rough positioning?

In message , at 17:15:06 on Wed, 12 Feb
2014, Someone Somewhere remarked:
Wasn't one of the things that Google was doing when doing street view
was to hoover up all SSID

yes

and related information

That was apparently an accident

so they could use it for rough positioning?

Android calls it "course" positioning. Although in urban areas it can be
quite precise.

Nowadays they do it differently - by correlating 'nearby SSID' and GPS
information from Android phones 'calling home'. In other words, Android
phone users, now there are enough, are doing the hoovering for them.
--
Roland Perry