Using XFCE
When I log into my Mexican bank using Firefox and try to execute a transfer it refuses telling me my location is not reported by the system. Under Windows the transfer works. How do I correct this?
Thanks in advance.
Is location data being allowed in Firefox? Check setting “Preferences -> Privacy & Security -> Permissions -> Location”
Thanks for the speedy response. Yes, that’s the first option I set and verified.
When I read “location” I always assumed that that was grabbed from an inbuilt GPS device. Is that a wrong assumption?
When yes, has the hardware such a device?
When no, what is used to determine “location” in such cases?
Is the (firefox) geolocation URL set correctly?
about:config
geo.provider.network.url
which should be: https://www.googleapis.com/geolocation/v1/geolocate?key=%GOOGLE_LOCATION_SERVICE_API_KEY%
Does any other site that uses geolocation work?
Well there is no GPS device in the Windows computer that works.
When yes, has the hardware such a device?
No GPS devices on any of my motherboards.
When no, what is used to determine “location” in such cases?
I would think that the “locale” command would show LC_ADDRESS. I modified that using nano, but it had no effect.
As long as we do not know where this “location” is coming from, we only can guess what is missing.
At this moment I can only think about using the IP address. There seem to be lists where IP addresses are given out. I assume that my Flagfox extension on Firefox uses something like that to tell me where a web host is located.
But then, it seems that the bank expects Firefox to report something, not that Firefox reports something that is incorrect (from the viewpoint of the bank).
Firefox uses google’s geolocation service (https://www.googleapis.com/geolocation/v1/geolocate) which determines location based upon users IP address.
You can override the lookup and directly specify a location by replacing the URL in the config setting “geo.provider.network.url” with the following:
data:application/json,{"location": {"lat": nn.nnnn, "lng": nn.nnnn}, "accuracy": 27000.0}
(replace nn.nnnn with your latitude and longitude)
With Firefox, does the URL <https://www.iplocation.net/> indicate the geographical location of your computer (as seen by the Internet)?
- Be aware, at least for me, it indicates where my ISP is entering the Internet – which is not my physical, geographical, location …
Banks are not supposed to understand anything of the small details of these areas. So either fed them something they are satisfied with or choose for another bank (which will probably not help).
The url is correct.
Does any other site that uses geolocation work?
I don’t know. I have never seen that problem before and I’ve used at least two other banks. Do they all require geolocation?
My sincere apologies to all. It was all my negligence. In order to check for Chromebooks at a U.S. web site (they don’t allow access from Mexico) I had set Firefox to use a VPN set to a U.S. address and forgot to reset it.
Sorry to waste your time.
I can relate to that 
No problem, pleased you’ve found the cause.
Hehe, at least you gave us something to chew on lol!
In any case, it is all those idiots that check those things believing that the achieve something.
Not really needed – at least I was having fun with this issue … >:)
It would have been nice to know what iplocation(.net) indicated your geographical location was/is …
It would have also been nice to know, what iplocation(.net) had indicated about the location of the MS Windows system …
Not really a waste of time –
- AFAIK, the Google location URL in Firefox is only of use for those applications which are using Google services …
When I fire up Google maps, it believes that, I’m located in Munich – which I’m not …
Ditto, things such as DIY stores – they initially put me at a store in the Munich area …
Microsoft also tends to believe that, I’m in Munich – can’t really believe that, Microsoft is using Google services but, there you are …
- iplocation(.net) on the other hand, currently indicates that, I’m in Nuremberg – which is almost correct but, not quite – it also used to indicate Munich but, I suspect that my ISP has changed their backbone network and entry points to “the Internet” …
- Our Android mobile Telephone, usually locates precisely, provided that, GPS is enabled …
And now, you have to dive into the depths of “real” geographical location which may well be –
- Triangulation of mobile telephony cell coverage – the mobile telephone network knows precisely the location of each and every antenna …
- Internal navigation systems – with gyroscopes – independent of any external sources …
- Satellite positioning systems – GPS, GLONASS, BDS (China), Galileo (Europe), IRNSS (India) …
Firefox uses that URL for the data that is then provided by the (Firefox) Geolocation API - Geolocation API - Web APIs | MDN
Websites that don’t use the API do their own lookup using the IP address sent by the browser as part of the normal request header.
I don’t understand the significance of your query, but here goes…
Computer 1 - openSUSE 15.2 connected by cable company wire using VPN
“Your IP address is xxx.xxx.xxx.x in New York, United States (10020)”
Computer 2 - Windows 10 connected via telephone company wi-fi
“My IP Address Is:
IPv6: xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx
IPv4: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
City: San Miguel de Allende Mexico”
(edited out IP information for privacy reason: moderator)
Thanks.
- It confirms my suspicion that, iplocation(.net) is a fairly reliable method for finding out how the Internet views your geographical location …