Leveraging Traceroute Inconsistencies to Improve IP Geolocation

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Ramanathan, Alagappan, Jyothi, Sangeetha Abdu
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Ramanathan, Alagappan
Jyothi, Sangeetha Abdu
author_facet Ramanathan, Alagappan
Jyothi, Sangeetha Abdu
contents Traceroutes and geolocation are two essential network measurement tools that aid applications such as network mapping, topology generation, censorship, and Internet path analysis. However, these tools, individually and when combined, have significant limitations that can lead to inaccurate results. Prior research addressed specific issues with traceroutes and geolocation individually, often requiring additional measurements. In this paper, we introduce GeoTrace, a lightweight tool designed to identify, classify, and resolve geolocation anomalies in traceroutes using existing data. GeoTrace leverages the abundant information in traceroutes and geolocation databases to identify anomalous IP addresses with incorrect geolocation. It systematically classifies these anomalies based on underlying causes - such as MPLS effects or interface discrepancies - and refines their geolocation estimates where possible. By correcting these inaccuracies, GeoTrace enhances the reliability of traceroute-based analyses without the need for additional probing. Our work offers a streamlined solution that enhances the accuracy of geolocation in traceroute analysis, paving the way for more reliable measurement studies.
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id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_15064
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Leveraging Traceroute Inconsistencies to Improve IP Geolocation
Ramanathan, Alagappan
Jyothi, Sangeetha Abdu
Networking and Internet Architecture
Traceroutes and geolocation are two essential network measurement tools that aid applications such as network mapping, topology generation, censorship, and Internet path analysis. However, these tools, individually and when combined, have significant limitations that can lead to inaccurate results. Prior research addressed specific issues with traceroutes and geolocation individually, often requiring additional measurements. In this paper, we introduce GeoTrace, a lightweight tool designed to identify, classify, and resolve geolocation anomalies in traceroutes using existing data. GeoTrace leverages the abundant information in traceroutes and geolocation databases to identify anomalous IP addresses with incorrect geolocation. It systematically classifies these anomalies based on underlying causes - such as MPLS effects or interface discrepancies - and refines their geolocation estimates where possible. By correcting these inaccuracies, GeoTrace enhances the reliability of traceroute-based analyses without the need for additional probing. Our work offers a streamlined solution that enhances the accuracy of geolocation in traceroute analysis, paving the way for more reliable measurement studies.
title Leveraging Traceroute Inconsistencies to Improve IP Geolocation
topic Networking and Internet Architecture
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.15064