How to enable GeoLocation

Geolocation enables developers to enhance the user experience, making specific country's user to specific content or advertisements page. Showing pages more relevant to the location of the user. Admin user can further enhance the security through blocking a client based on country.

Install GeoIP database For CentOS user:

yum install GeoIP-data

Install other modules:

yum install GeoIP-devel zlib-devel

Check geo database:

rpm -ql GeoIP

It may return database path as:

/usr/share/GeoIP/GeoIP.dat 

In LSWS WebAdmin, configure the database location. Configuration → Server → General →General settings:→ IP to GeoLocation DB
Enter the database path:

/usr/share/GeoIP/GeoIP.dat 

Default DB Cache Type will be MemoryCache

Setup rewrite rules from “Web Admin → Configurations → Your Virtual Hosts → Rewrite” to control the redirect:

<IfModule LiteSpeed>
  RewriteEngine on
  RewriteRule .* - [E=Cache-Control:vary=%{ENV:GEO_COUNTRY}]
</IfModule>

You can also refer to Maxmind page for rewrite examples.

From this site , we can simply put in web IP and choose a country from three(USA, Germany, Netherlands). If you want more than three countries, then you need to register for paid plan.

You can choose a free proxy server from online free resources, e.g. Free_Proxy

Setup Proxy IP with your browser, here are the steps for Chrome:

1. Click on Settings.
2. Click Show advanced settings
3. Scroll further down the list until you see the System
4. Click Open proxy settings
5. Click on the LAN settings button.
6. On the Internet Properties window, click on the “LAN settings” button.
7. In the LAN Settings, uncheck the box that says “Automatically detect settings.”
8. In the Proxy Server section, click the checkbox to enable “Use a proxy server for your LAN…”
9. In the Address field, enter the IP Address and Port Number of your Proxy Server.
10. Press the OK button and then press OK again to save your settings.
11. Now when you surf the web, you will be surfing by using the Proxy Server.

• You can check source IP via LiteSpeed defult php page http://your_domain/phpinfo.php.First, you need to set Admin → Configurations → Your Virtual Hosts → General → Enable GeoLocation Lookup set to Yes

  _SERVER["GEOIP_ADDR"]
  _SERVER["GEOIP_COUNTRY_CODE"]
  _SERVER["GEOIP_COUNTRY_NAME"]
  _SERVER["GEOIP_CONTINENT_CODE"]

• Or use online IP check, e.g. What is my IP

Web Admin → Configurations → Your Virtual Hosts → Rewrite:

• Set Rewrite to Yes
• For testing purpose, we set Log Level to 9.
• Add following rules to Rewrite Rules content

  # Redirect two specific countries
  RewriteCond %{ENV:GEOIP_COUNTRY_CODE} ^(CA)$
  RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada [R,L]
  RewriteCond %{ENV:GEOIP_COUNTRY_CODE} ^(EU)$
  RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe [R,L]

 tail -f /PATH_TO_LSWS/log/error.log 

When you are using CA IP:

[REWRITE] Rule: Match '/' with pattern '^(.*)$', result: 2
[REWRITE] Cond: Match 'CA' with pattern '^(CA)$', result: 2
[REWRITE] Source URI: '/' => Result URI: 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada'

When you are using Germany IP:

[REWRITE] Rule: Match '/' with pattern '^(.*)$', result: 2
[REWRITE] Cond: Match 'EU' with pattern '^(EU)$', result: 2
[REWRITE] Source URI: '/' => Result URI: 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe'

When you are using Netherlands IP:

[REWRITE] Rule: Match '/' with pattern '^(.*)$', result: 2
[REWRITE] Cond: Match 'NL' with pattern '^(CA)$', result: -1
[REWRITE] Rule: Match '/' with pattern '^(.*)$', result: 2
[REWRITE] Cond: Match 'NL' with pattern '^(EU)$', result: -1

• 2 is match, -1 is not match

• If the module is not working, make sure that the httpd user (e.g. nobody) has read access to the GeoIP database file(s) you are using.
• If the GeoIP variables do not show up please make sure that the client IP address is not on a private network such as 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12 or 192.168.0.0/16. GeoIP can only look up public IP addresses.

• IP Country Codes List:
  • UNITED STATES US
  • CHINA CN
  • GERMANY DE
• Rewrite rule: Blocking a client based on country example:

  SetEnvIf GEOIP_COUNTRY_CODE DE BlockCountry
  Deny from env=BlockCountry