Worldwide, several groups of IPv4 addresses (Classes A, B or C) were created, which make it possible to define networks and ranges of machines for those networks.

Of course, there is currently a migration to IPv6 since IPv4 addresses ran out a couple of years ago, roughly (although there are solutions such as NAT, Subnetting or Supernetting that allow IPs to be used more efficiently).

With GeoIP for python you can find out which Country an IP comes from, find out where a specific domain or site is hosted, and learn the IP range of an IPv4 class.

To install python-geoip the Debian way (Debian, Canaima, Ubuntu, LinuxMint), become superuser and run:

#apt-get install python-geoip

Run the python command interpreter:

ecrespo@jewel:~$ python
Python 2.7.2+ (default, Dec  1 2011, 01:55:02)
[GCC 4.6.2] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> 

Import the geoip module:

>>> import GeoIP

Create the GeoIP instance object, associating it with the GeoIP information in the memory cache:

>>> gi = GeoIP.new(GeoIP.GEOIP_MEMORY_CACHE)

Look up in which Country yahoo.com is hosted:

>>> print gi.country_code_by_name("yahoo.com")
US
>>> print gi.country_name_by_name("yahoo.com")
United States

In the first case the Country code is returned, in the second the Country name is returned.

Now let's try yahoo.es:

>>> print gi.country_code_by_name("www.yahoo.es")
IE
>>> print gi.country_name_by_name("www.yahoo.es")
Ireland

Note that yahoo.com is hosted in the United States and yahoo.es is hosted in Ireland.

Now let's look up in which Country www.cantv.net is hosted (obviously):

>>> print gi.country_code_by_name("www.cantv.net")
VE
>>> print gi.country_name_by_name("www.cantv.net")
Venezuela

Although it is possible for Venezuelan domains to be hosted in other Countries, an example would be www.crespo.org.ve:

>>> print gi.country_name_by_name("www.crespo.org.ve")
Sweden

Finally, let's try finding the Country according to the IP passed in:

>>> print gi.country_name_by_addr("24.24.24.24")
United States
>>> print gi.country_name_by_addr("150.186.32.0")
Venezuela

The first IP is in the United States and the second in Venezuela.

To find the IP range of the Venezuelan IP, run geoip asking it to return the IP range:

>>> print gi.range_by_ip("150.186.32.0")
('150.185.0.0', '150.189.255.255'

Given the range of addresses it covers, this IP is a class B.

This tool can be used for Web applications with Django, for example, and such applications can show information about the Country from which users connect.

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