title: Request routing on iPhone/iPod without GPS
body: <p>I want to build an iPhone App that should contact a server that is nearest to its location.
  The app itself knows where the servers are located and it should find out which one to choose.</p>
  
  <p>Because I expect many users with an iPod touch I can't use GPS to do this.</p>
  
  <p>On StackOverflow and ServerFault I found this possible solutions:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li><p>Use Anycast technology to route users => I can't use this method because the device itself should route the requests and know where they are going.</p></li>
  <li><p>Get country code and use the Google Directions API to determinate which server is nearest.</p></li>
  <li><p>Get location by IP (GeoDNS etc.) and do the same (see above).</p></li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>Method 2 seems good but I have three questions to that:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li><p>The API sends me the whole route from point x to point z. I just want to have distance. Is there a way to do that?</p></li>
  <li><p>Google says they have a usage limit of 2,500 request per day. How do they control that? By IP? I ask this because they say you don't have to use an API key - how do they control then?</p></li>
  <li><p>Is is a good idea to use Google without having any trouble later? My app itself will be free but I'll have In-App Purchases in it. Does that matter?</p></li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>I hope somebody has experience in this. Thanks in advance!</p>
  
  <p>Paul</p>