503450 - Geolocation position hasn't updated for me in two months.

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

Description

[Wes Kocher (:KWierso)]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1) Gecko/20090624 Firefox/3.5pre (.NET CLR 4.0.20506) RTSE/1.1.0.20090706
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1) Gecko/20090624 Firefox/3.5pre (.NET CLR 4.0.20506) 

I've been using Firefox 3.5 nightlies since before it was Firefox 3.5. When the geolocation abilities were first added to Firefox, it pretty accurately gave my position when I tried the feature out on Google Maps.

About two months ago, I moved to the other side of Iowa. I tried using geolocation again, but it still listed me at my previous location. 

Jump ahead two months to today, and it's still showing my prior location.

Only thing I can think of that could be causing this on my end is that I'm still using the same router as I was before I moved, so my default gateway hasn't changed. Maybe Firefox's Geolocation doesn't update if it detects you're network hasn't changed?

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Give permission for geolocation API to locate me from a given domain.
2. See my location on the map correctly.
3. Move 100 miles away.
$. Go back to that site, see old location.
Actual Results:  
Geolocation service says I'm still in my old location.

Expected Results:  
Geolocation should have updated itself to know my current location.

I've even reinstalled Firefox and tried it on a different profile, but it's still saying I'm at the old location.

I'll try it from another computer on the network once I get access to one, and comment on the results.

Comment 1

[Jo Hermans]

This is not a Firefox bug. We receive the data through Google, who received probably received this from elsewhere, who collect this kind of information.

If you're using Wifi, then the location of your access point need to be rescanned (possibly by a company like Skyhook Wireless, but there are others).

If you're not using Wifi, then it's based on your ipaddress. Then it depends on your ISP to update that information, but 99% don't bother at all. It's probably using the coordinates of their network center anyway.

You might clear your cookies, but I don't think it will help much.

Anyway, there's nothing for Mozilla to change here. Mozilla doesn't control the data.

Comment 2

[Jo Hermans]

http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2009/07/10/the-browser-geolocation-wars-skyhooks-ceo-on-why-google-maps-is-misreading-your-location/