Ask HN: Less Evil Alternative to MaxMind GeoIP Db?

15 pointsby sethito12 anni fa10 comments

I've been using the geoip db from MaxMind for over a decade now; however, I've noticed the accuracy of both the free and paid dbs have fallen to unacceptable levels. I also recently learned that it is against their aup to build publicly facing systems based on their data (https://www.maxmind.com/en/sitelicense).

Are there any accurate alternatives that don't use MaxMind's free db?

4 comments

mulligan12 anni fa

I can understand the policy and I'm not sure it makes them evil. You could build a publicly facing system that was simply an API into their database, thus providing the public with the data you licensed.

duncantuna12 anni fa

This site will let you download their geolocation database .. http://software77.net/geo-ip/

License info: http://software77.net/geo-ip/?license

mavelikara12 anni fa

I have had good success with NeuStar.

thenomad12 anni fa

What are the costs associated with that?

mavelikara12 anni fa

They were about the same cost or slightly more than the MaxMind paid version.

phoenix6912 anni fa

http://www.w3schools.com/html/html5_geolocation.asp

sethito12 anni fa

That works great until the user pushes "No, I don't want you go geolocate me".

sarciszewski12 anni fa

If the user doesn't want to be geolocated, why are you going to geolocate them?

dangrossman12 anni fa

Basic web stats reports. Checking that you're getting the geotargeting you paid for when you advertise. Preventing credit card fraud (billing address in one country, user located in another, detecting open proxies, etc). Lots of reasons geolocation has been used since long before browsers had a mobile-style API for it on the client side.

sarciszewski12 anni fa

And if the user withdraws their consent (clicking "No", DNT headers, etc.) that should be the end of it. Don't locate, don't track, don't subvert user's consent.

Just flag it as "no location information available" if you need to use it for an access control/fraud prevention mechanism and be aware that determined bad guys can spoof almost every signal you receive from them.