What Is WiFi Geolocation Used For?

WiFi geolocation has proved extremely popular and reliable with location-based services on smartphones that provide information to a user about what is available to eat, buy, or visit at their present location. GeoComply uses this technology to augment other geolocation data sources to deliver a combined reading with unmatched accuracy when determining a service users geolocation.

How WiFi Geolocation Works

All WiFi networks have a unique MAC address, however, this by itself is not helpful until the location of each MAC address has been mapped and added to a database. Once a database has been created it becomes possible to geolocate a user by determining which WiFi networks they are in range of at the time they are accessing an eCommerce service/web site.

Because of the limited range of most WiFi networks, WiFi geolocation is extremely accurate. However, standard WiFi geolocation is not designed to be 100% secure so it is comparatively easy to hack in order to “spoof” a real location. This is why it is necessary to have a full MATRIX of geolocation tools that include IP and WiFi geolocation, as well as a more secure overlay upon the WiFi geolocation methodology to defeat spoofing attempts. Such methods include, but are not limited to; screen sharing detection software and proxy server detection equipment.