I recently lost my laptop (a Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 1st gen) in a taxi about three days ago. I submitted a lost report to the police, but I'm not too hopeful they'll find it. I checked my BitDefender account and used the locate service, which gave me an IP address that seems current. It's about 3.5 miles from the last known location on Windows Device Finder, which fits since it's roughly in the same area where I got out of the taxi. I'm curious about how trustworthy this IP address information is, especially considering it's showing a location that far off. Is this detail reliable, or could it just be coincidental?
5 Answers
IP geolocations are pretty hit or miss—most of the time, they can just get the city right, if that. I wouldn’t rely too much on that for tracking your device.
The IP address you got probably comes from the internet provider your laptop connected to. Just keep in mind that IP geolocation isn't super accurate. Usually, it can at least get you to the nearest major city or landmark, but anything more precise is a bit of a stretch.
Bummer about your laptop! Honestly, that IP isn't going to do much for you. I mean, my own IP claims I’m in a central business district when I'm nowhere near it! It's really off sometimes.
Yeah, my home internet's IP says I'm in Fenstanton, but I’m actually more than a hundred miles away! So don’t bet too much on the IP.
You might as well get the MAC address. It's more reliable than an IP for identifying devices, even if it’s also not guaranteed to help you retrieve the laptop.
Related Questions
Interactive CPU Architecture Simulator
7 segment display encoder
LCD Character Display Simulator
Ohms Law Calculator
WS2812 Pattern Editor
Uart Baud Rate Calculator