What IP address will my personal hotspot show if I'm using it abroad?

[Will1735]

Hi there

I live in the UK - if I travelled to France/Germany/Italy etc and I used my phone as a personal hotspot, would it still be using a UK IP address? A more techincal minded friend explained it to me like this:

1. The French/German/Italian network contracted by O2 forward your traffic to O2 and therefore it'll probably be UK (as in, the IP address)

2. The French/German/Italian network directly deal with your traffic, and then report your usage to O2 and they'll have a contract with eachother r.e payments - if it's that way then I'm guessing it'll be from France/Germany/Italy

Any help much appreciated!!

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

Option 2

[Will1735]

Thanks man

[MI5]

Welcome

[madasaf1sh]

@Will1735 @MI5 

I will try an keep this as none techie as I can... but I am an Techie

o2 use Home routed data connections whilst roaming, which means all mobile data is routed through the UK, and as such can introdue lag (which we see in some places) and you will get an UK IP address for your data connection as the APN used is based on o2's network. 

The IP address you get will also be an internal o2 network IP and the  External IP of o2's Gateway.  aka the APN and you will use o2's internet breakout. 

The only exception to this is Enterprises who have their own APN and route traffic over their own data networks. 

This is how most networks are running, i know Vodafone and EE do this in some parts. 

(We have been discussing private APN's at work, so this is fresh in my mind as we have global users, who are permantley roaming.. )

This diagram might help:

[jonsie]

So option 1 then @madasaf1sh ?

[madasaf1sh]

@jonsie

Option 1 is the winner