Channel 7 app on Google Chromecast with TV picks up the wrong location. Sydney instead of Melbourne.

A problem with the Channel 7 app is that it does not allow you to select your location. The reason this is a problem is it can pick up the wrong location. For example we're in Melbourne and the Channel 7 app often only lets us see news from Sydney which obviously isn't right. I do wish Channel 7 would allow us to select the location but that's not possible at the moment.

The reason this happens is we use our mobile phones as hotspots using the Vodafone service. The Vodafone service allocates an IP address but in this case the Channel 7 app sees the IP address as being located in Sydney. On the mobile phones the Channel 7 app uses the GPS and determines the mobile phone location is in Melbourne and the Channel 7 app works correctly on the mobile phone. However, the Channel 7 app on Google Chromecast with TV uses the IP address which is thought to be in Sydney. That means when you're in Melbourne and want to watch the Channel 7 news you can only watch the Sydney news.

The good thing is when I reported the issue to support for Channel 7 they let me know the app uses the Maxmind service. You can report the location of IP address to Maxmind and Maxmind will update the location for the IP address within a fews days. After the update the Channel 7 app will know the location and display the right shows (e.g. News) for Melbourne.

Do the following to report the correct location to Maxmind for the IP address.

Go to www.Maxmind.com
Go to the bottom of the page and select the link GeoIP Data Correction (Submit GeoIP Data Corrections | MaxMind).

Select the first link For a small number of IP addresses, including your own, through our online forms.

Then select the link Correct the geolocation of one IP address or IP range.

Enter the details requested by the form

Agree to the terms and conditions

Click Submit

After submitting you'll receive an email letter you know they've received your submission and it will be reviewed. Once reviewed you'll receive an email letting you know if the submission is successful or not.

In a few days the IP address will be associated with the location submitted.

Something I do wonder is how do Vodafone allocate the IP addresses your mobile phone uses when it connects to the tower. If the IP addresses are permanently assigned there's no issue. However, if the IP address move around from one location to another, in time someone else may assign a different location to the IP address, although that's not an issue as you'll be using a different IP address to.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au