So started like a month ago I have this symptoms on my PC AND Android phone.

1. Searching in Google will default to Russian location and language
2. Ads in Youtube are from Russia.

I thought I've been hacked or something until I realize when I'm on my phone and using mobile data, the problems disappeared.


So I did an experiment yesterday.


On Android phone, using mobile data, Google Homepage Location using Firefox Incognito is Malaysia.

On Android phone, using Home Wifi, Google Homepage Location using Firefox Incognito is Russia.

On PC when tethering mobile data, Google Homepage Location using Firefox Incognito is Malaysia.

On PC when using Home Wifi, Google Homepage Location using Firefox Incognito is Russia.


So the culprit seems to be Home Wifi. ISP is Time Fibre


Could it be ISP is routing Google services data to Russia? Why?


It only effects Google Services. Opening Google Maps while using Wifi and with Firefox Incognito will show my general location is in Russia. But checking my Ip address in Incognito will show my location correctly in Malaysia.

Anybody have any idea?

Update

This post has been edited by M.A.: Dec 31 2021, 12:01 PM

I'm using Time too but no problem.

Btw how do u check ur location?

When on wifi check whatsyourip and trace yourself.

Worst case chances are router kena hack.

This post has been edited by VinluV: Dec 30 2021, 12:12 PM

since it is always russia. by any chance you are using VPN?

Open Chrome or Firefox Incognito mode. Then open Google Search and Maps. These are what I see on my Incognito pages while on Home Wifi.

My initial thought also but then why it only affects Google Services? Everything else is normal. Further check on the router shows everything operating normally.

Countless checks with countless IP checker shows I'm still in Malaysia. Even under Incognito they recognize I'm in Malaysia, not Russia.

Try reset your router.

I'm not. My housemate's iMac and his Iphone X is also showing the same behaviour.

I did. Multiple times. Still the same.

CHECK your router setting.
If you have separate router also can try if can't find out which setting cause it.

Running any proxy services or server or VPN on router?
Which router are you using now?

I'm also on TIME, no such issue.
Only happen when I'm using VPN or proxy service (on company laptop)

This post has been edited by muncheno: Dec 30 2021, 12:52 PM

Deleted for double posting.

This post has been edited by muncheno: Dec 30 2021, 12:48 PM

Anyone in house use vpn based russia?

I've checked my router settings. Everything is as per normal as the day it was installed. Router is Huawei HG8145V5 provided by Time.

No proxy service, no VPN.

Not relevant

This post has been edited by M.A.: Dec 31 2021, 12:33 AM

ip2location database mistakenly put your IP latitude and longitude to different place.

for example, a VPS in KL that i used to subscribed to erroneously had its IP as being in Kuching, Sarawak.

The same goes with you VPN. You might sign into tunnel in Singapore, exit the tunnel from HongKong, but that exit IP is erroneously listed as being of Denmark and you will get Google in Dutch.

in singapore also. i wish they show i in seoul.
anyway is the ip address kacau. no worry ya

Time user here, no issue for me.

your IP probably in Russia. every time i login my gmail in my company laptop sure receive notification, sometimes in US sometimes in Philippines, sometimes in Vietnam.

https://iplocation.io/
https://tenta.com/test/

Alright, here's a more detailed post to give a more detailed picture.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the four devices used and how they are connected to the Internet for this test.

1. Windows 10 PC - Connected via LAN cable to Time router, later connected to Celcom via USB tethering with Android phone mobile data.

2. Android phone - Connected via Wifi to Time router, later to Celcom via mobile data.

3. iMac - Connected via Wifi to Time router, later to Celcom via hotspot sharing with iPhone X mobile data.

4. iPhone X - Connected via Wifi to Time router, later to Celcom via mobile data.
------------------------------------------------------------------

Router provided by Time is Huawei HG8145V5 and all settings are the same as they were when the router was installed.
Mobile data settings as per each phone settings provided by Celcom.
No VPN. No proxy.

Each devices uses Brave Browser Private Browsing to avoid Google account logins and settings messing up the test.

-------------------------------------------------------------

All devices displayed the same behavior as below:

Connected to Time router:

Google Search Page - Location Russia
Google Map Webpage - Location Russia
Youtube (webpage and app) - Showing Youtube RU with Russian ads
Any page or app that uses Google ads - Russian Ads
Ip location via https://whatismyipaddress.com/ - Location Malaysia

Connected to Celcom:

Google Search Page - Location Malaysia
Google Map Webpage - Location Malaysia
Youtube (webpage and app) - Showing Youtube MY with Malaysia ads
Any page or app that uses Google ads - Malaysia Ads
Ip location via https://whatismyipaddress.com/ - Location Malaysia

-----------------------------------------------------------

Furthermore if connected to Time router and logged into a Google account, the localization can be forced by changing location settings in Google account. But Google homepage still gives location as Russia and ads in Youtube stays in Russian. Everything else follows that forced localization.

------------------------------------------------------

This rerouting behavior seems to affect only Google Services. Other services such as FB, Twitter, and ads not provided by Google show the correct Malaysia localization.

-------------------------------------------------

I'm still suspecting this has something to do on TIME side. Gonna have a long chat with them tomorrow.

Are you behind VPN?

What is the result if you visit https://www.ip2location.com?

Again. As my posts already mentioned. No VPN. No proxy. IP still in Malaysia.

it is unlikely due to TIME as they are just internet provider and as you mention, the IP check show location correctly. well IP check are mainly database that maps the IP to service provider then just return the country of the ISP.

more likely is due to google geo-ip database "issue", having the wrong info, as you are using incognito/private browsing, which end up google only rely on server side geo-ip data for location info.

you will have better luck contacting/creating issue at google side rather than TIME(ISP) side..

https://support.google.com/websearch/workflow/9308722?hl=en

This post has been edited by brkli: Dec 31 2021, 12:07 PM

also you might want to try refreshing the dynamic public IP and see if you get one that is "correct" from google side..

This post has been edited by brkli: Dec 31 2021, 12:13 PM

If it's indeed on Google side, why does it only happen when connected to Time? It doesn't happen when connected to Celcom.

Edit: Thanks for the link but I did that on the early days of troubleshooting. Nothing changed since.

This post has been edited by M.A.: Dec 31 2021, 12:26 PM

obvious answer is becoz Celcom IP is different from TIME IP.

like I mention on the last post, one of the way google detect location is by using client IP and lookup at their geo-ip database (most likely build and maintain by themselves). if they wrongly mapped your TIME IP to russia, while other IP is correct, nothing can be done on your side or ISP side. similarly, a lot services/website using the similar way to detect user/client location too, different is the "database" they use.

This post has been edited by brkli: Dec 31 2021, 12:35 PM

I guess that seals it then. I'm at the mercy of Google. Sigh.

Thank you for your help and tips.

also, are you connected to google via ipv6 (using TIME)?? if so you might also want to disable ipv6(at router side) and force all connection through ipv4 and see if the ipv4 is correctly mapped at google side.

https://support.google.com/websearch/thread...ion-issue?hl=en

This post has been edited by brkli: Dec 31 2021, 01:01 PM

you sure you not in Russia?

Reset your router/modem firmware and also test using different hardware/device.

Your firmware might be compromised.

Holy hell. Problem just solved. All tests shows Google Services correctly localized to Malaysia. No more Russian invasion.

Don't know what worked though. Either the Google IP report page or the email I sent to TIME yesterday.

All in all everything is good. Thanks everyone for your help!



I still see KLCC out my window. No Kremlin. So no tea with Putin anytime soon.

untung la free vpn

most likely from the Google IP report. as most at what mention at google issue tracker, it takes around a month for google to do the "changes" and since you did the report thing some time ago, most likely it is about time it get "updated".