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Methodology
Geolocalisation of routers involved in a traceroute is a complex task, as all available GeoIP databases
(free or commercial) are largely inaccurate for interconnection and backbone router IPs.
The methodology used here relies on an automated inference-based algorithm that replicates the analysis
a human network engineer would perform when inspecting a traceroute.
This includes:
- Analyzing reverse DNS names to identify city names and IATA/ICAO airport codes.
- Consulting multiple GeoIP databases and checking for consistency.
- Analyzing latency to infer the most plausible location and discard implausible results.
- Analyzing the path to detect inconsistencies (loops, abnormal routing patterns).
- Analyzing the graph and assigning weights to the most likely city based on latency using Bayesian logic.
- Relocating hops to a more logical city when an inconsistency is detected.
- As a last resort, using machine-learning–assisted reverse DNS parsing to extract city information.
The algorithm operates entirely in real time and does not store any computed results in a database.
This approach is not 100% accurate and never will be.
Based on manual validation across more than 2,000 computed paths,
the observed accuracy is approximately 90% at a city or logical metro-area level.
The remaining 10% mainly involve IPs with missing or misleading reverse DNS entries or abnormal latency behavior.
Salim Gasmi
Credits:
- Geotraceroute is a tool written by Gasmi Salim.
 | umt.edu |
Path via:
Cogent Communications
Path / real distance:
11204 / 8013 km
Countries involved:
2
Run another traceroute
Last 10 targets checked:
• tmcell.tm (26m ago)
• google.com (29m ago)
• www.ironanvil.net (35m ago)
• 66.179.xx.xx (37m ago)
• 156.239.xx.xx (40m ago)
• 156.239.xx.xx (42m ago)
• www.google.com (47m ago)
• 185.201.xx.xx (59m ago)
• clg-moulinjoly-colombes.ac-versailles.fr (1h 08m ago)
• clg-moulinjoly-colombes.ac-versaille.fr (1h 09m ago)