WiFi router location question.

When you move your wifi router and it shows the old address how does it learn the new address. Can you speed up the process or does it just take time ?

See also a similar question to help another person. Thank you. Happy New Year.


Hi, I have recently moved home and changed my details in my Apple ID but when using find friends or the maps app I am still located at my previous address, can you help ?

Posted on Jan 1, 2015 2:20 AM

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6 replies

Jan 1, 2015 5:26 AM in response to bobseufert

If you have the WiFi-only iPad (which does not have GPS) your location is determined by the mapped location of nearby WiFi routers.


Without GPS location-finding is done by using a Apple location database which contains the MAC addresses of routers and their physical location. A MAC address is a unique number which is built-in to all network devices when manufactured.


The Apple database is built and updated by Apple GPS-enabled devices (primarily iPhones) actually seeing routers and then adding/updating the router's locations into the database. Apple does not provide an user-accessible interface to manually update the database.


Note that to be used for location determination, a device does not need to be actually connected to a router, it just has to see the router. More precise location determination can be done if several nearby routers can be seen. When a router is moved from one location to another erroneous locations can sometimes be reported until the router's location is corrected in Apple's database.

Jan 1, 2015 1:14 PM in response to JimHdk

Aloha JimHdk. Thank you. I had pieces but not the whole story and Ihate to give wrong information. I had been meaning to ask but I also needed the info to help Bearer1. If you could also post the solution on his post that would be very helpful. I don't want to take credit for your answer and he can close his post.

Thanks again. Bob.


Hi, I have recently moved home and changed my details in my Apple ID but when using find friends or the maps app I am still located at my previous address, can you help ?

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WiFi router location question.

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