maps can't find current location

My MacBook still thinks I live in the town I moved away from, which is over 125 miles away. My mobile devices, using the same WiFi network, do not have this problem. It makes Maps highly impractical. I have updated my contact info, and all of the AirPorts involved were defaulted before being setup attheir new location.

Very frustrating.

I have the same problem with my MBP 17", also using a 802.11ac AirPort Time Capsule router. But interestingly, our iPhones, iPad and iMac are unaffected by it. Location services work fine with all of them except the MBP. I got it to work once by disabling location services in the Privacy settings, and then re-enabling it, but after a restart, location services stopped working again, and the disable/re-enable trick hasn't worked again.

It appears to be a problem with the MBP, not the router. Very frustrating.

Part of the problem is that there isn’t a Mac with a GPS unit installed, and they don’t contact cellular network towers.

The way Location Services works on a Mac is it identifies all of the WiFi networks it can see. It then cross-checks those router MAC addresses with a database of known locations. It then triangulates your Mac’s position based on those signals.

If your router and your neighbor's routers are not in the database, then it cannot locate you.

If your router was previously located in the database, you will still be in the same old location until the database gets updated.

I’m not certain how Apple updates its database, but I have heard it is related to location services on your iPhone and iPad. Obviously that requires that you allow Apple access to your anonymous location info while your iOS device has WiFi enabled and can see your network (and others nearby). I don’t know how to specifically allow that or deny it.

If it “fades in and out,” that may be related to being able to see a located WiFi access point only intermittently. While it can “see” that router, it can locate you. When the router gets washed out by other noise, it cannot locate you.

But why do Maps, Time Zone location, etc. work on the iMac using the same Apple router in the same room, but not for the MBP?

Maybe your router isn’t the known location and your iMac can see a neighbor’s router that the MBP cannot.

I have just moved and I am have the exact same issue with an Apple Tim Capsule ... however in my case the MacBook Pro on the same network can find my location while my iMac still thinks I'm in PA while I'm in VA ... yes I have tried to remove the Ethernet and just use wi-fi.

I have Comcast service here as I did in PA ... never a location problem in PA why here and why only with this computer?

Very frustrating ... when I use programs like Day One ... that use location services it thinks I'm hundreds of miles away and wreaks havoc with those programs.

Neither Maps nor Google Maps can find my location on my iMac.

I also checked the find my iPhone app and it say my iMac is online, but with no location available ... it shows its last location which was in PA.

When moving I made no adjustments ...

Any help appreciated ... Thanks!

Read what I wrote above. It is all there. It may have nothing to do with your router as your router may have never been located.

Running it without WiFi on will not provide any location data as it can’t locate via ethernet.

I was wrong ... the other devices picked up the location from other sources, not my router ... so none of my too many devices are getting location data from the router.

As you say this is an issue with the router never being 'located', how do I get Comcast/Apple to locate it?

I would call Comcast customer service, but my fear is they would have idea what I am talking about.

Hardly one of life's biggest problems, but annoying ... kind of like an electronic splinter that you want to get out!

Thanks for your continued help!

Harvard Dad wrote:

I was wrong ... the other devices picked up the location from other sources, not my router ... so none of my too many devices are getting location data from the router.

As you say this is an issue with the router never being 'located', how do I get Comcast/Apple to locate it?

There isn't a method as far as I know. My understanding is that the database is populated from hits off of iPhones and iPads. I don't know if certain security settings would prevent sending that data.

Years ago, I had heard they were using SkyHook Wireless to populate the locations, so I submitted my information to them and I was able to set the location in Time & Date a few days later. As I mentioned, I don't think they use that service anymore. I think they are building it themselves.

Hello!

I have this same annoying issue. I've tried this today and now I'm waiting... I hope this solve the problem.

http://www.skyhookwireless.com/submit-access-point

Good luck!

Thanks so much for the information ... I submitted my information to Skyhook.

I'll update post as soon as I know it is working, if it does this Shyhook should be better known.

cesarfig1976 ... Thank you so much http://www.skyhookwireless.com/submit-access-point

The link to Skyhook WORKED ... after weeks of working on this problem, my electronics are not now hundreds of miles away from me!