You could just serve up a text file over HTTP.

Even without LOC, there's also TXT. In my work lab (size of a medium DC, tonnes of devices from a variety of vendors) we used formatted TXT records to store things like: rack elevations, host/port for serial access server, switched power outlet info, reservation status, loan / return info and more. With this and cnames for rack numbers/elevations, with simple scripts we could do more than either a free-but-clunky or a decent-but-expensive DC management system could, from CLI, and quicker.

I don't know that the accuracy afforded by LOC would be enough to pinpoint objects inside a house, though the optional fields may perhaps be used to provide room/rack location.

> where I create LOC records for devices without a dynamic IP address so I can figure out where the f*k they are without having to keep a continuous mental map running at all times

Obligatory bash.org quote[1]:

<erno> hm. I've lost a machine.. literally _lost_. it responds to ping, it works completely, I just can't figure out where in my apartment it is.

[1]: https://qdb.lol/quote/5273

Haha. Great idea, I might try this one.

The post mentions 743 LOC records in the entire database; I'd be very curious to hear what that number's at now?

A list still exists at <https://www.ckdhr.com/dns-loc/sites.html>.

/dev/null

I once wrote something that did, as an internal tool.

It was basically an MPLS traceroute tool that used LOC records on RFC1918 loopbacks to plot pretty maps (well, the lines were way too straight on long range links, but ...).

It was used by marketing and basically nobody else, but it existed !

That's a good question.

During 2024 Summer Olympics my then employer which DNS and core network I was still managing as I returned summer holiday. I was told by helpdesk our users around different locations at campus were not able to open national TV broadcaster streaming services and view the games.

I found out by asking few of these users that they got denied claiming to be from UK and that streaming services were not allowed abroad. TV broadcaster told me once I got someone to know anything about the matter reply, that they use MaxMind GeoIP service. So I went to see and test few addresses from MaxMind debug page and that clearly showed many addresses from around 20 subnets of /16 our IPv4 CIDR block were showing the same.

So I sent email to MaxMind support asking why and tried to find out means they use to check where each network is located and populate it to their GeoIP DB, which then clients either mirror or use remotely from their service.

After few emails with their support that they did not use RIPE (RIR) database at all as RIPE terms of use doesn't allow using RIR information for commercial purposes. So MaxMind neither did not apparently use WHOIS (RDAP) LOC records, and wrong information did not update from our LOC records DNS had either.

I never got any explanation how they figure out where that IP or CIDR block is being used. Between the lines I was assuming it's perhaps some kind of trade secret they don't like to talk about. Maybe it's using mobile devices location service or like, but amount these days VPN's are being used that could lead them updating bogus information to database service use they then sell and naive customers trust <eh>.

But most I was surprised by that how easy it was update information, basically just communicating clearly and writing polite convincing message they seemed to take that information pretty much by face value and that I was sending my messages from DNS SOA RNAME address.

But if GeoIP data provicers don't use that then who or what services do, that I still have no idea.