Troubleshooting Sitecore IP Geolocation service

            I have encountered an issue while working with GeoIP where the website visitor is Geo location is not accurate based on their IP. Someother use cases where location data is incorrect in reports and also see below errors.

ManagedPoolThread #4 2015:06:28 00:00:36 ERROR Error retrieving geo ip information for ip 000.000.000.000
Exception: System.Net.WebException
Message: The operation has timed out
Source: System
 at System.Net.HttpWebRequest.GetResponse()
 at Sitecore.CES.Client.WebClient.ExecuteRequest(String requestUri)
 at Sitecore.CES.Client.ResourceConnector`1.Request(String endpoint, Object[] parameters)
 at Sitecore.CES.GeoIp.SitecoreProvider.GetInformationByIp(String ip)‌

Solution

Sitecore has provided some solutions in the KB Article. I have chosen the option 3 for the troubleshoot where as other configuration changes are already intact with my configuration.

• When I'm testing for one IP that is belong to Bangladesh as shown in the below snap.

• But in my sitecore application while debugging, the result is coming as "Argentina (AR)" where as expected is Bangladesh(BD).

I have followed the below steps to troubleshoot the geoip to ensure this issue is from Sitecore or from my custom code.

• Download the TestIp.aspx page
• Need to navigate to \sitecore on your site files and paste TestIp.aspx page 

• Open this file and give the user IP for which country is coming as wrong as shown below.
• After providing the IP and click on "GetInformationByIP" button to see the detailed information that is returning from Sitecore GeoIP.

• Incase if the date is coming correct in this then there is some issue with our code. If the data is wrong then reach out to Sitecore and raise a support ticket and report this incorrect information issue.
• The described behavior is related to inaccuracy of Sitecore IP Geolocation service and this service uses MaxMind GeoIP2 database as a source of the GeoIP lookup data.
• So Sitecore will submit a request to MaxMind for updating the database.
• Sitecore always uses the latest available GeoLocation database from MaxMind. So the change should be available to us once MaxMind correct out the location and this correction should also include to public database.

By following this troubleshooting steps, we can easily make the issue is from our code or with Sitecore IP Geolocation service.

Hope this information helps to fix your issues.

Happy Troubleshooting !!!