After upgrading to 4.1, my phone thinks I'm in Cisco, TX when connected to home WIFI...why?!

[CFD323]

It did it a couple of times before upgrading but I just went in and cleaned out the cache/stored data under Maps and then it worked. But after upgrading to 4.1 every location based widget now thinks I'm in Cisco TX whenever I'm connected to my WiFi at home. Does anyone know why?

When I open Maps, it sometimes puts me in Cisco (I'm actually in Chicago) but after 30 sec it goes to my correct location. However, on my HD Widgets weather widget, my GasBuddy account, it almost always puts me back in Cisco. If I turn off WIFI, then it works correctly. This just started happening since 4.1 upgrade, no changes to home network.

Does anyone know how to fix this?


Also seems like a weird coincidence that my home network is Linksys aka Cisco and keep getting placed in Cisco....

 

[Mtn_Scott]

This may sound annoying, but you might want to change the name of your network. It may be sharing the same ssid as a router in Cisco TX. For more info...

How to hide your Wifi from Google's location database | Android Central

 

[CFD323]

This may sound annoying, but you might want to change the name of your network. It may be sharing the same ssid as a router in Cisco TX. For more info...

How to hide your Wifi from Google's location database | Android Central

If I change the name to something with "_nomap" at the end of the SSID, like the article states, won't Google NOT be able to see my network then, thus making my location based widgets not work at all?

 

[Mtn_Scott]

I would not even use the "_nomap" ending. Just change the SSID name. For example, if you change it to "NotTexas" your phone will hopefully not look to Google and see a router in Texas. I am no expert, but it sounds like your initial location is provided by your router which is provided by Google.

I included the link as an example of how Google may be seeing you in the wrong place.

 

[nightshaded]

Personally, I'd be ok with Texas. My nexus phone works great and gets it right all the time, but whenever I turn on hotspot- my nexus 7 tablet thinks I'm from China in my google now cards. Sometimes Facebook will say that I sent my messages from Austria. I'm in Michigan btw.

 

[CFD323]

I changed my SSID...both with the _nomap string and without it, and it still reverts back to Cisco TX when I'm on wifi. Actually, for about 12hrs I was able to get it to locate me properly when I used the _nomap string, but now it's back to thinking I'm in TX again. What I don't get is that when I open Google Maps, it always correctly puts me in Illinois, but when I check my HD Widgets for weather or my GasBuddy app, it puts me in Cisco TX. How can the phone put me in 2 places at the same time?!

 

[brianr8011]

Maybe your account has been hacked and the hacker has you logged into a computer in Cisco...

Just trying to think outside the box

 

[Revolutionary]

Does it do this if you turn Google's location service off?

 

[PanchoPlanet]

Cisco, Tx. That's where the ice cream sandwich factory is located.

........... LoL. ...........
(I couldn't resist your title.)

Pp.

Sent from the future using Mayan technology.

 

[CFD323]

Does it do this if you turn Google's location service off?

I just tried this, and so far, it's working.

What will stop working when I turn off Google's location service?

 

[Sarah Maier]

As I was driving out of Tampa to Tallahassee, my maps suddenly went from my location to saying that I was located in Dallas, Texas...

 

[zkSharks]

The Google Maps page on location-based services and the first two sections of the Android Developers guide on Location Strategies should provide some clarity on how you phone figures out where you are, and the role that Google's location services play. When your location cannot or is not being determined by GPS, the icon on your position in the Maps application will be a small blue circle. When fixed by GPS, your location will be the familiar small blue arrow. In the case of the former, this is Google's location services at work.

When your phone gets a GPS fix, it will also gather a list of all the WiFi access points visible at that time. Google maintains databases of WiFi networks' physical locations, which become more accurate with each such submission by an Android device. When your phone wants a location based off of Google's location services, it will send a list of the WiFi networks in range (this is why you need WiFi to be enabled) to Google. This list will be compared with Google's current database of WiFi network locations, and will return an approximate location to your phone. Location services also use standard cell tower information, but it is the least accurate of the strategies.



Edit: quick location-based services in the web browser or other applications will also be likely to not work if you disable Google's location services. For example, setting your current location on the mobile version of Google's homepage, or in the Best Buy store locator, uses Google's location services because you need a fast location fix, but not necessarily an accurate one.

 

[bjrosen]

Google "Where am I" on your PC, what does it return? I suspect that the problem is caused by your ISP issuing an IP address that Google thinks is in Texas.

 

[M Horban]

It must be a problem with google and/or android. I updated my s3 to jelly bean and now my weather app and gas app puts me in Cisco,TX. I live in friggin Oregon and my ISP is local. I put the GPS on and navigation shows correctly but not weather or other apps? Hope they get this bug fixed soon.

 

[applesux]

Im having a similar problem. Except i never use WiFi. And my phone thinks im in chicago but im in indianapolis or greenwood. When i turn on location its fine but why does it think im in chicago when im not?