What is Confidence Area?

The global shortage of IPv4 addresses has led Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to manage their limited IP address space with maximum efficiency. To achieve this, ISPs often allocate a pool of IP addresses to specific sections of their network, which may cover large geographical areas. This method of dynamic address allocation reduces the number of IP addresses required, as it serves only active users rather than the entire customer base.

However, this approach presents challenges for pinpointing precise IP geolocation. Since an IP address can be used anywhere within the designated service area, geolocation tools can only provide an estimate of where the address is likely being accessed. To improve decision-making based on geolocation data, it is crucial to understand the corresponding service area or "Confidence Area."

When the number of active users exceeds the available pool of IP addresses, ISPs often use techniques such as Network Address Translation (NAT) to allow multiple users to share a single IP address. For instance, mobile internet users frequently share a far smaller pool of IP addresses than the number of connected devices.

The Confidence Area plays a critical role in assessing where a dynamically assigned IP address might also be in use. This information is essential when evaluating the reliability of decisions based on IP geolocation data. The longer an IP address remains tied to a specific physical location, the more accurately it can be pinpointed by geolocation services—similar to the accuracy of a static IP address.

 

On the other hand, if the IP address was recently observed in another location, the geolocation result will likely be less accurate. The maximum error in such cases corresponds to the distance from the physical location to the outer edge of the Confidence Area. For this reason, understanding the Confidence Area is vital in assessing the accuracy and reliability of IP geolocation data.

Contact support

If you have any further queries, feel free to contact our email support on our contact us page .


Topics

Was this page helpful?