topic IP Address does not match my Geographical location in Internet

IP Address does not match my Geographical location

NotInLondon — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 20:47:15 GMT

Since a couple of weeks ago, my IP address is displaying as my location as "London, ON", whereas I am physically located outside of Ottawa, ON. While the internet itself is fine, this 600 km difference seems to mean that I am not getting the desired sports coverage as a result of regional coverage... the wrong blackout information is being applied.

Note that I don't have or have never used any kind of IP manipulating software/VPN... I am getting this information from lookup sites like "whatismyip", etc.

Is this something that is within my ability to change? Without having to 'trick' sites to believing my IP is something else? No shenanigans; just want it to be accurate so I can get my regular sports back (which has been fine since moving here, about 2 years ago)...

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Black outs and Restrictions on Fibe TV

NorthernB — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 20:46:16 GMT

I live in Northern Alberta and keep experiencing "regional blackouts" on Sportsnet West while trying to watch Oilers hockey games. I've never had an issue up until about 3 weeks ago, Fibe App has worked, SportsNet app has worked now both give the same error. My receivers still work and this issue is strictly on the Apps.

I've reached out to Bell support on 2 different occasions, both conversations were well over an hour long with zero resolution and customer support saying it is SportsNet. This is clearly a bell related issue and customer support has been brutal, I was told I would receive a follow up call which never happened.

Time to step up your customer support Bell.....

Re: Black outs and Restrictions on Fibe TV

AlexS — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 00:04:28 GMT

"SportsNet app has worked now both give the same error. My receivers still work and this issue is strictly on the Apps." So u mean u cannot watch the feed at all?

Re: Black outs and Restrictions on Fibe TV

NorthernB — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 00:36:07 GMT

I can watch the channel until a hockey game start either Oilers or Flames. Both give me a black screen that says “Regional Blackout Restrictions apply”. I’ve validated my postal code to ensure it’s Northern Alberta so I see no reason I’m getting this error.

Re: Black outs and Restrictions on Fibe TV

AlexS — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 17:20:30 GMT

So the problem is across all platforms right? Both dvr, bell & sn apps?

Re: Black outs and Restrictions on Fibe TV

NorthernB — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 17:26:20 GMT

Just Bell Fibe App and SN app I get the black out restrictions.

My receivers/satellite work fine.

Re: Black outs and Restrictions on Fibe TV

Wakka197 — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 17:49:36 GMT

From your storey I’ve never heard of a problem . I’ve never exsperienced it . You using something to change your location for your internet .

Re: Black outs and Restrictions on Fibe TV

NorthernB — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 18:46:28 GMT

Ya its frustrating because I can't even test it until there is a game on lol. No VPN or anything to change location and did validate my postal code in Bell.

Re: Black outs and Restrictions on Fibe TV

BellPatricia — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 20:16:34 GMT

Hey @NorthernB, Thanks for your post, and welcome to the Community. 🙂

Thank you for all the troubleshooting you've completed. It's great to hear that you can still catch the game on your Satellite TV receiver.
As you mentioned the regional black out message is occurring on your Bell Fibe TV App and through the Sportsnet App it would appear that your IP address is listed outside of Alberta, thus causing the regional blackout message. Have you contacted your ISP to confirm where your IP is pointing to?

Keep the Community posted!

- Patricia

Re: IP Address does not match my Geographical location

DoubleP — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:48:02 GMT

Hello, silly question maybe, but have you tried turning your Bell fibe modem off/on to ensure it re-negotiate for a new IP address? Maybe you got assigned an IP from a different zone (London area) because the Ottawa IP assignment service was temporarily unavailable at the moment your modem was requesting for a new IP address?

if you connect to https://www.speedtest.net/, what city shows up, for the server used to do the speed test?

You may also provide us with your Traceroute information, providing a record on the route through the internet from your computer to another. You can google Traceroute if you are not familiar with this utility.

Re: IP Address does not match my Geographical location

NotInLondon — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 15:37:44 GMT

Thank you for your reply and insight.

The modem does get reset often, both intentionally and as a result of power outages. The location had flipped back to 'Clarence-Rockland' yesterday, which would be correct, but this morning the IP has changed and is back to London. I am thinking that if there is a recent problem (never had an issue before a few weeks ago) with the local assignment service, it seems to be...persistently intermittent!

The server used in Speedtest vary, but all results are reasonably local, with Cornwall, 90km away, being the furthest geographically.

Related but outside the direct scope of Bell, would be how those sports stations are determining my location, and whether they do this on-demand with each access, or whether this information has been checked and is now stored somewhere... If it's through a local browser cookie, I guess I can purge and try again...

Anyway, thank you again... I will continue with some testing, and escalate to the forum you reference if I am unsuccessful.

Re: IP Address does not match my Geographical location

DoubleP — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 01:53:39 GMT

Regularly going back to London almost seem like if there is a VLAN configuration error in a switch near your area, because even if this was a load balancing issue, your modem would certainly pick up another switch that is physically closer to you than London, ON... To me, this would warrant a chat with an engineer from the forum I mentioned in my previous post.

When you look at the first hop of a traceroute, does the 10.50.xxx.xxx address change depending of if you are mapped to Rockland vs London? if may be that the switch allocates you with an IP from a subnet that used to be in London, if the 10.50.x.x IP is exactly the same each time...

if its not... then maybe, just maybe your modem encounters such slow IP addressing response from so many regional switches that it only gets picked up by a London switch (this sounds very unlikely... my bet is a misconfiguration on a switch near you)

Re: Subnet geolocation of my IP NOT Wasagabeach

BellPatricia — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 20:22:47 GMT

Hi everyone, and welcome to the Bell Community 🙂

We have a couple of suggestions we'd like you to review.

Are you connected while using a work or personal VPN? If so, please disconnect the VPN and test again.
Does the same thing happen when you test different sites that identify your location (such as Home Depot or any other that you may use)?

Keep the Community posted with your results.

- Patricia

IP address in wrong geographic location causing sports blackouts!

Limjahey — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 16:14:24 GMT

Help!!!!!

I have been experiencing this problem since I got my bell internet last may!

I attempt to watch the Ottawa Senators on the TSN app and get blackouts all the time. My ip location constantly registers as being somewhere in the GTA region even though I am in Ottawa.

I’m fed up with this! I’ve heard all the excuses from bell techs. Oh sir your IP address is dynamic, yeah well the dynamics are causing my Senators games to be blacked out!

oh sir, you need to call TSN, it’s on their end. No it isn’t, I know this because as soon as I disconnect the wifi and run the app on my cellular data, no black out!

Can anyone actually help me resolve this issue rather than deflecting it! Last time I called about it I was told it would be passed on to the higher ups in the tech department and I would be contacted within 48 hours. I was never contacted!

Senators home opener starts in 1 hour and as of now I won’t be able to watch it!

I am using whatismyipaddress.com to check the IP. Always in GTA or Hamilton.

I am ready to switch to Rogers if you can’t help me fix this.

@NotInLondon had the same issue.

Re: IP address in wrong geographic location causing sports blackouts!

daaaveybaby — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 18:31:50 GMT

What do you get if you visit this site..

https://www.maxmind.com/en/locate-my-ip-address

Re: IP address in wrong geographic location causing sports blackouts!

Limjahey — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 19:23:49 GMT

Hi. It says Montreal and Rogers communication which is what other IP locators say when I disconnect the wifi. It is picking up the location of my cellular data rather than the wifi even though the wifi is on and functioning.

I appreciate your reply, however, this issue has been diagnosed to death. I have already interrogated the IP location upwards of 100 times using multiple sites. At this point, additional locators will not help. What I need is a solution to this problem. Why is my IP location in Toronto when I live in Ottawa and how can I fix it.

thanks

Re: IP address in wrong geographic location causing sports blackouts!

PammieD — Sat, 28 Oct 2023 13:42:57 GMT

Same! Huge issue at home. My parents live near Haliburton, and can't watch the Senators with their Fibe TV. When my dad was describing the issue, I flipped open the app and could watch it fine on my phone (same subscription). Leading me to believe it's location related, not station access.

We can't figure out why Haliburton would be blacked out, but he is NOT happy because he hasn't had this issue with away games when he was with Shaw.

My IP address was showing Toronto location, but my parents aren't tech savvy enough to figure out what theirs is showing.

I called Bell for them yesterday, and was told "it's nothing to do with us."

Now my parents are ready to switch back to Shaw. Super frustrating!

Re: IP address in wrong geographic location causing sports blackouts!

ZaneP — Sat, 28 Oct 2023 15:42:17 GMT

Hi @PammieD , @Limjahey

Usually the geolocation problem is due to out-of-date databases used by ISPs. Also, ISPs sometimes have routing errors due to messed-up routing tables I can't say if either of these are relevant to your issue.

But one possible solution is brute-force: you could factory-reset your Bell modem. This will usually result in a new a new public IP address being assigned to the modem. (Make sure you have your B1 username handy. Also, if you have any custom settings on the modem, take notes. Those settings will be erased).

After the modem has re-established its connection, check this site, as recommended by @daaaveybaby https://www.maxmind.com/en/locate-my-ip-address

Re: IP Address does not match my Geographical location

ZaneP — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 17:41:32 GMT

It seems to be problematic for Bell customers who have a Fibe TV streaming subscription and want to watch a live sports event. If geolocation is wrong, they may experience a game blackout.

Read @Limjahey post, 10-14-23, below.

Re: IP Address does not match my Geographical location

NotInLondon — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 12:42:15 GMT

Original poster here... Amazing (sad) that nine months later, this issue is affecting so many people, and that Bell doesn't seem to be able to get a handle on it.

Just to close the loop on my end... I did end up switching ISP. While the geolocation was a nuisance, I am in rural Ottawa, and Bell wasn't able to provide the speed I needed for work, out here in the country. We ended up switching to Starlink... and while the speed is a noticeable improvement, I do note that the geolocation is also not accurate (Toronto). Starlink acknowledges this current limitation in their documentation, pending the distribution of additional satellites, so for now pretty much stuck.

Note that I also looked briefly into various VPN options to spoof your location, but even those aren't so precise.. Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver... couldn't find Ottawa in the solutions I was considering at the time.

Anyway, best of luck everyone.