The Issue You're Seeing
You connect through a "Virginia" (or any other region) mobile proxy, but IP-check websites show a different city—or even a different state. This is common with mobile networks and doesn't automatically mean the proxy is "fake."
1) The Main Technical Reasons
CGNAT (Carrier-Grade NAT)
Mobile operators often place thousands of users behind a small pool of public IPv4 addresses. To the outside world, many devices can appear to come from the same "exit point" IP—an exit point that may be located far from the user or device.
IPv4 Scarcity + Aggressive Address Reuse
IPv4 has a limited number of addresses, and the internet has far more devices than the system was designed for. Operators therefore recycle and reassign addresses frequently, which makes "location by IP" less stable—especially on mobile.
Centralized Operator Architecture (Few Internet Exits)
Even if a modem/SIM is physically in one city, the operator may route traffic through a major hub (data center) in another city. Many geo-IP tools simply report the hub location.
2) Why Geo-IP Databases Are Often Wrong
IP Location Is Not GPS
Most services rely on commercial geo-IP databases. These databases map IP ranges to locations using provider info, measurement data, and historical patterns—not real-time device location.
Databases Update Slowly and Lag Behind Reality
Operators can move or reassign IP blocks without notifying every geo-IP provider. If an IP range used to be associated with one place and later gets reused elsewhere, databases may keep the old location until they refresh (often monthly or less frequently).
Different Sites Can Disagree
Two IP-check websites may show different results because they use different data vendors and update schedules.
3) What "Mobile Proxies in a Region" Usually Means in Practice
When a provider says their mobile proxy is "in Virginia," it usually means:
- The hardware (modem/router) is physically placed in that region
- It uses a real SIM card from a mobile operator serving that region
- The public IP is assigned by the operator, just like for any normal mobile subscriber
So the proxy is real mobile traffic—but the public IP may still resolve to another city/state because of operator routing and geo-IP database behavior.
4) Why WebRTC Can Show a Different IP Than "Your Proxy IP"
WebRTC (used for real-time calls in browsers) can perform network discovery. In some setups, WebRTC checks may reveal a different address than standard browser traffic appears to use.
Practical takeaway: if you run leak tests, check both "normal IP" and "WebRTC IP." If WebRTC leaks matter, you may need to disable WebRTC in the browser or control it via policy/extension.
5) MTU Differences (Only Relevant If You See Instability)
Mobile operators can use different MTU values. If you notice slow loading, broken pages, or unstable connections through mobile proxy infrastructure, MTU tuning can help—but it's not something most users need day-to-day.
6) Why Real Mobile IPs Are Valuable Anyway
Even when geo-IP looks "off," real mobile IPs still provide:
- Higher trust signals (looks like normal mobile subscribers)
- Lower block risk compared to datacenter proxy ranges
- Region-like behavior for ads, search results, and content
Bottom Line
If your mobile proxy IP resolves to a different city/state than advertised, the most common reasons are CGNAT, centralized operator exits, and geo-IP database lag—not necessarily a wrong proxy location. The device can be physically in the target region while IP geolocation still reports something else.