Access to Azure or O365 with incorrect geolocation information

Question

Access to Azure or O365 with incorrect geolocation information

Whisky Wong 5

Hi,

Our end users are suffering incorrect geolocation resolve issue. When our end user visits to Azure or O365, it will return US website instead of UK website.

Is any method to update the Geolocation information for our IP addresses?

Here is the geofeed for AS41354:
https://geofeed.itstechnologygroup.com/its-geofeed.csv

Is it possible to update into Microsoft database?

Thanks.

Sina Salam 22,031 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2023-11-30T14:51:35.39+00:00

Hello Whisky Wong

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A and thank you for posting your questions here.

Sequel to your questions, I understand that your end users are experiencing incorrect geolocation resolution issues, resulting in visits to US websites instead of UK websites when accessing Azure or O365.

If your end users are experiencing incorrect geolocation resolution, there are a few steps you can take to address this issue. Also, keep in mind that geolocation is determined by databases maintained by various providers, and updates may not be instantaneous.

However, to address this, consider the following methods to update geolocation information for your IP addresses or try other possible options:

Contact Your Internet Service Provider (ISP):

Your ISP assigns IP addresses, and they may have outdated or incorrect information in their geolocation databases. Reach out to your ISP and inquire about updating their records.

Update Public IP Information:

If your organization uses static IP addresses, you can update the public information associated with those addresses. This information is often maintained by Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) like ARIN (American Registry for Internet Numbers), RIPE (Réseaux IP Européens), or others depending on your region.

Azure/O365 Specific Settings:

Most importantly, in the case of Azure and O365, Microsoft may use its own geolocation databases. Ensure that your Azure and Office 365 account settings have the correct region specified. Check for any regional settings that may affect the geolocation of services. Check your configurations.

Check DNS Records:

Ensure that your DNS records are correctly configured. Sometimes, incorrect DNS configurations can lead to traffic being routed through different regions.

Consider a VPN or Proxy:

If the issue persists, you might consider using a VPN or proxy service that allows you to choose the desired geolocation. This can be a workaround for users experiencing geolocation-related issues.

Use a Geolocation Service:

Some services allow you to register your IP address and provide accurate geolocation information. MaxMind and IPinfo are examples of such services. By registering your IP range with these services, you can ensure that geolocation databases have accurate information.

For example,

Third-Party IP Address Databases:

The first step is to visit the IP Lookup page and search your IP address using the IP Lookup Tool. This tool provides geolocation data from various third-party IP address databases. To update the IP address information, you'll need to contact each third-party database directly.

Patience:

Geolocation databases may take some time to update. Even after you've made changes, it may take a few weeks for the corrections to propagate across all databases.

Remember to communicate with your end users about any changes or potential workarounds to minimize disruptions during the resolution process. I strongly believe one these will resolve the issue permanently.

I hope this is helpful! Do not hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions.

Please remember to "Accept Answer" if answer helped, so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution.

Best Regards,

Sina Salam
Whisky Wong 5 Reputation points

2023-11-30T14:58:45.8366667+00:00

Hi Sina,

Thank you for replying my message. Those IP addresses had been updated on ARIN, RIPE. Some address are in ARIN and some in RIPE.

We already updated maxmind, IPinfo, etc geolocation db provider. The affected end user IP subnet are already in UK (checked on maxmind, IPinfo). Can you tell us what geolocation DB is used by Microsoft so that we can create update request to these DB provider?

Thanks.
Sina Salam 22,031 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2023-11-30T21:06:56.69+00:00

Sure,

Microsoft utilizes Azure Maps as its geospatial mapping service. Azure Maps provides a suite of services that empower developers and enterprise organizations to build intelligent location-enabled and map-based experiences.

These services include functionalities such as asset tracking, vehicle routing, map creation, and geolocation for both mobile and web applications. Additionally, Microsoft's Geolocation Service, which is part of Azure Maps, allows developers to obtain an ISO country code for a specified IP address (IPv4 or IPv6).

This information can be used to customize application user experiences based on geographic location and for other use cases. If you need to create update requests or have specific requirements, I recommend exploring the Azure Maps documentation for further details.

References:

Azure Maps & Geospatial Mapping APIs

Maps and Geolocation Data

Hope this will be helpful.

Best Regards,

Sina
Whisky Wong 5 Reputation points

2023-12-01T10:55:42.7333333+00:00

Hi Sina,

Thank you for your update. Can I provide geofeed to you or can you provide the email contact for the team handling the geolocation database so that I can update them on the geofeed information?

Thanks.
GitaraniSharma-MSFT 50,096 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2023-12-01T11:25:29.6633333+00:00

Hello @Whisky Wong ,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Platform. Thank you for reaching out & hope you are doing well.

Could you please confirm if you are referring to Microsoft IPs?

Microsoft publicly publishes a geolocation data file every month, which is utilized by many geolocation providers. The RIR registration is secondary and not normally a factor in the IP geolocation as considered by products/services.

Kindly let us know if the above helps or you need further assistance on this issue.

Regards,

Gita
Lukas 0 Reputation points

2024-03-20T16:20:07.6+00:00

@GitaraniSharma-MSFT i also have the same question. How can i provide/update my geoinformation?
Whisky Wong 5 Reputation points

2024-07-16T09:27:27.4666667+00:00

Hi @GitaraniSharma-MSFT ,

The currently issue is there are GeoLocation block on our end customer accessing to Azure/o365 by using our IP addresses.

Currently, some of our IP addresses are under ARIN but we are using in EU area. We already updated to most of the GeoDB providers but our end customer are still having issue to access Azure/o365 service. All of them reported they has been blocked due to the IP address under US instead of UK.

Thanks.

1 answer

Your answer

Whisky Wong 5 Reputation points

2023-11-30T14:58:45.8366667+00:00

Hi Sina,

Thank you for replying my message. Those IP addresses had been updated on ARIN, RIPE. Some address are in ARIN and some in RIPE.

We already updated maxmind, IPinfo, etc geolocation db provider. The affected end user IP subnet are already in UK (checked on maxmind, IPinfo). Can you tell us what geolocation DB is used by Microsoft so that we can create update request to these DB provider?

Thanks.
Sina Salam 22,031 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2023-11-30T21:06:56.69+00:00

Sure,

Microsoft utilizes Azure Maps as its geospatial mapping service. Azure Maps provides a suite of services that empower developers and enterprise organizations to build intelligent location-enabled and map-based experiences.

These services include functionalities such as asset tracking, vehicle routing, map creation, and geolocation for both mobile and web applications. Additionally, Microsoft's Geolocation Service, which is part of Azure Maps, allows developers to obtain an ISO country code for a specified IP address (IPv4 or IPv6).

This information can be used to customize application user experiences based on geographic location and for other use cases. If you need to create update requests or have specific requirements, I recommend exploring the Azure Maps documentation for further details.

References:

Azure Maps & Geospatial Mapping APIs

Maps and Geolocation Data

Hope this will be helpful.

Best Regards,

Sina
Whisky Wong 5 Reputation points

2023-12-01T10:55:42.7333333+00:00

Hi Sina,

Thank you for your update. Can I provide geofeed to you or can you provide the email contact for the team handling the geolocation database so that I can update them on the geofeed information?

Thanks.
GitaraniSharma-MSFT 50,096 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2023-12-01T11:25:29.6633333+00:00

Hello @Whisky Wong ,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Platform. Thank you for reaching out & hope you are doing well.

Could you please confirm if you are referring to Microsoft IPs?

Microsoft publicly publishes a geolocation data file every month, which is utilized by many geolocation providers. The RIR registration is secondary and not normally a factor in the IP geolocation as considered by products/services.

Kindly let us know if the above helps or you need further assistance on this issue.

Regards,

Gita
Lukas 0 Reputation points

2024-03-20T16:20:07.6+00:00

@GitaraniSharma-MSFT i also have the same question. How can i provide/update my geoinformation?
Whisky Wong 5 Reputation points

2024-07-16T09:27:27.4666667+00:00

Hi @GitaraniSharma-MSFT ,

The currently issue is there are GeoLocation block on our end customer accessing to Azure/o365 by using our IP addresses.

Currently, some of our IP addresses are under ARIN but we are using in EU area. We already updated to most of the GeoDB providers but our end customer are still having issue to access Azure/o365 service. All of them reported they has been blocked due to the IP address under US instead of UK.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Whisky Wong 5

Hi,

I would like to follow this topic. Currently we got a lot end customer report regarding to access o365 or Azure, it shows restriction due to incorrect GeoDB resolve on our existing IP addresses.

How can we update Azure or Microsoft effectively regarding to our Geofeed? Can we publish our Geofeed to Microsoft and Azure to update it automatically?

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Access to Azure or O365 with incorrect geolocation information

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