"Find my iPad" 5000 miles away?

Question

"Find my iPad" 5000 miles away?

I just relocated my 1TB Time Capsule that I was using in China, back to Australia.

I connected it here to my Australian ADSL modem, replacing the older 500 GB TC that I was using.

The two TC's had been backing up my MBP as I moved between the two locations (China and Australia).

Now however, when I access "Find my iPhone" via iCloud on my MBP, it tells me my iPad and MBP are in China, while my iPhone is correct (in Australia)

The iPad and MPB are accessing location services through my wireless network here, while the iPhone is on the 3G network, that is the only difference I can work out. Why is the MBP and the iPad seemingly using a VPN and telling me they are still in China???

Posted on Dec 3, 2011 4:49 PM

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Answer 1

Dec 4, 2011 2:14 AM in response to Richard Brigg

Because the Apple database that stores the location of nearby WiFi networks used for locating devices does not know that you have re-located your Time Capsules.

Your iPhone has GPS so doesn't rely on the location of nearby WiFi networks for location.

Your iPhone should update the Apple database automatically, but I don't know how long it takes for that new location data to actually start being used.

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Answer 2

Dec 4, 2011 2:33 AM in response to Julian Wright

OK, thanks Julian, that makes sense (I think?) Can you give me some direction on how to reset the location on the TC. I bellieve there is a web site where you can do this.

Or should I just restore the TC to factory settings, will this reset the location??

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Answer 3

Dec 4, 2011 2:47 AM in response to Richard Brigg

There used to be a web site that you could manually enter your routers location data, but that was a third party location database. Apple no longer uses that database and has built its own from crowd-sourcing data collected by iOS devices.

You can't update this data yourself, but as I mentioned, your iPhone will do it automatically and anonymously. Your iPhone will collect the GPS co-ordinates of itself plus the MAC addresses of WiFi networks nearby and send that data for inclusion in Apple's location database.

I vaguely remember reading that this location data is sent on a weekly basis (I could be wrong) so it could be up to a week before Apple receives the data, but I have no idea how quickly that data is processed and added to the live location database.

There's nothing you can do to speed up or manually initiate that process. Presumably, using any location based app with WiFi turned on will allow the iPhone to collect the data initially.

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Answer 4

Dec 4, 2011 11:34 AM in response to Julian Wright

Thanks Julian, I will hang out for a week or so and see what happens before I reset the TC.

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Answer 5

Dec 4, 2011 12:10 PM in response to Richard Brigg

Just wondering here. I've never been able to get find my mac to locate my mac when it's connected by ethernet. Is it possible that in China you used wifi and you're now using ethernet and the system is still showing your last known location (Time stamp should tell you)

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Answer 6

Dec 4, 2011 12:39 PM in response to Winston Churchill

No, use wifi in both locations

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Answer 7

Dec 8, 2011 3:08 PM in response to Winston Churchill

Everything was located correctly for a few days, now iPad and MBP are back in China??? The TC must have reset itself again. iPhone always shows correct location. (3G)

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