In today’s digital age, the choice of servers is crucial for businesses and developers. However, when faced with Hong Kong servers and Mainland China servers, many people may feel confused. This article will delve into how to differentiate these two types of servers from a technical perspective, providing you with a comprehensive identification guide.

IP Addresses: Revealing the Server’s Geographical Location

IP addresses are an essential identifier of a server’s identity. By analyzing IP address segments, we can preliminarily determine the geographical location of a server. Here are some typical Hong Kong IP addresses:

  • 182.16.0.0
  • 1.118.0.0 – 1.118.255.255

Using Python, we can write a simple script to query the IP location:

import requests

def get_ip_location(ip):
    url = f"https://ipapi.co/{ip}/json/"
    response = requests.get(url)
    data = response.json()
    return data['country_name']

# Test Hong Kong IP
hk_ip = "182.16.0.0"
print(f"{hk_ip} is located in {get_ip_location(hk_ip)}")

# Test Mainland China IP
cn_ip = "1.2.3.4"
print(f"{cn_ip} is located in {get_ip_location(cn_ip)}")

Network Latency: Evaluating the Server’s Relative Location

In addition to IP addresses, network latency is also an important indicator for determining a server’s location. Due to differences in geographical distance and network environment, the latency when connecting to Hong Kong servers and Mainland China servers is usually different. We can use the ping command to test the network latency from the server to different regions.

In a Linux or macOS terminal, use the following command:

ping -c 5 server_ip

In a Windows command prompt, use the following command:

ping -n 5 server_ip

Replace server_ip with the actual server IP address. The command will send 5 ping packets and display the results. By comparing the average latency time of pinging Hong Kong servers and Mainland China servers, we can roughly infer the relative location of the server.

Server Providers: Understanding the Server’s Affiliation

Querying server provider information is also an effective method to determine a server’s location. Well-known Hong Kong server providers include Alibaba Cloud Hong Kong, Tencent Cloud Hong Kong, Amazon AWS Hong Kong, Simcentric, etc.; while Mainland China server providers include Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, Huawei Cloud, and others.

We can utilize tools and websites such as the Micro-Step Online Threat Intelligence Community (https://x.threatbook.cn/) to input the server IP address and query the server’s provider information, which can help determine its location.

Summary

Differentiating between Hong Kong servers and Mainland China servers is crucial for optimizing business deployment and compliance. This article has elaborated on how to determine a server’s location from a technical perspective by analyzing IP addresses, testing network latency, and querying server providers. By mastering these practical techniques, you can easily identify a server’s location and choose the most suitable server for your business.