TL;DR
Yes, your employer can likely see which state you are in when connected to their VPN. They don’t necessarily need special software; your public IP address reveals this information. However, the extent of tracking depends on their setup and policies.
How Employers Track Your Location via VPN
- Your Public IP Address: When you connect to a VPN, all your internet traffic goes through the VPN server. Your employer sees the public IP address associated with that connection. This IP address is often linked to a geographical location (state and city).
- VPN Server Location: They know which VPN server you’re connected to. While this isn’t *your* exact location, it narrows things down significantly.
- Logging Policies: Some employers log connection data, including timestamps and IP addresses. This allows them to build a history of your VPN usage and associated locations.
- Geolocation Services: More sophisticated setups might use geolocation services (often built into the VPN software or added through third-party tools) to pinpoint your location more accurately.
Steps to Understand Your Employer’s Tracking
- Review Company Policies: The first step is to read your company’s IT and acceptable use policies. Look for sections about VPN usage, data logging, and monitoring.
- Check the VPN Software: Examine the VPN client software itself. Some clients have settings related to location sharing or tracking.
- Find Your Public IP Address: Before connecting to the VPN, find your public IP address using a website like WhatIsMyIP. Note this down.
- Connect to the VPN and Check Again: Connect to the VPN and then revisit the same website. The IP address will have changed – this is your employer’s view of your location.
- Use an IP Lookup Tool: Use an IP lookup tool (like IPLocation) to determine the geographical location associated with the VPN’s IP address. This will give you a rough idea of what your employer sees.
What Can You Do?
- Be Aware: Understand that using a company VPN means accepting some level of monitoring.
- Follow Company Policies: Adhere to all IT policies regarding VPN usage and location restrictions.
- Use a Personal VPN (Carefully): If you need more privacy, consider using a personal VPN *in addition* to the company VPN for non-work activities. Important: Check your company policy first – some prohibit using personal VPNs on work devices or networks.
- Discuss Concerns with IT: If you have concerns about location tracking, talk to your IT department. They can explain their policies and practices.
Technical Considerations
Employers may use tools like:
- Firewall Logs: These logs record IP addresses connecting through the VPN.
grep "VPN_IP" /var/log/firewall.log(Example Linux command to search firewall logs for VPN IP addresses)
- Network Monitoring Software: Tools like Wireshark can capture and analyze network traffic, revealing IP addresses and other data.
- Geolocation APIs: These services translate IP addresses into geographical coordinates.
It’s important to remember that circumventing security measures or violating company policies could have serious consequences.