Under 10 per cent of IPv4 addresses are left

[zalbard]

Source: http://www.theinquirer.net/

ACCORDING TO the Number Resource Organisation (NRO) almost ninety per cent of IPv4 Internet addresses are taken.

Before you stock up on shotguns and tinned food and head into your basement in panic, you should remember that there is the bright and shiny IPv6 waiting to be adopted. The NRO said that there are just four years left until the tired old IPv4 address space runs out and urged more organisations to adopt the new one now.

"This is a key milestone in the growth and development of the global Internet," said Axel Pawlik, chairman of the NRO. "With less than 10 percent of the entire IPv4 address range still available for allocation to RIRs, it is vital that the Internet community take considered and determined action to ensure the global adoption of IPv6. The limited IPv4 addresses will not allow us enough resources to achieve the ambitions we all hold for global Internet access. The deployment of IPv6 is a key infrastructure development that will enable the network to support the billions of people and devices that will connect in the coming years."

While IPv4 can handle only a few billion addresses, its bigger brother can take on trillions. This is only likely to become more important as people surround themselves with gadgets and gewgaws, according to the group, which is responsible for the overseeing the allocation of all Internet number resources. Unfortunately, despite IPv6 having been around for a couple of years now, few organisations have rushed to adopt it.

Sensing perhaps that the panic was dying down again, Raul Echeberria, secretary of the NRO, then chimed in to add, "Many decision makers don't realise how many devices require IP addresses - mobile phones, laptops, servers, routers, the list goes on. The number of available IPv4 addresses is shrinking rapidly, and if the global Internet community fails to recognise this, it will face grave consequences in the very near future."

So you have been warned. Again.

Well, what can I say?

[[XC] Synthetickiller]

I'd say, "Wow, that's a lot of :banana::banana::banana::banana: sites!" But, it's actually not. I wonder if there's some countdown clock for when the last URL will be sold, lol.

Improvement....... its the name of the game.

[Piotrsama]

I'd say, "Wow, that's a lot of :banana::banana::banana::banana: sites!" But, it's actually not. I wonder if there's some countdown clock for when the last URL will be sold, lol.

Nothing to do with URLs, it's all about IP addresses.

[Particle]

I guess my biggest obstacle is understanding the addresses. They seem like an unnecessary complication. It's going to become much harder to do a lot of tasks.

Yes, I understand that it will make switching more efficient and whatnot due to the new data in the address, but I still don't like it. Find a way to express it that isn't three miles long. You could cover most of the useful address space using 12 digits if you did full alphanumeric. A4DY.99DP.1OBM.QQ47 = 25% of 64-bit address space (4.6 million trillion addresses). Instead, we have this mess: 2001:4F6A9D8:FFB3:0000:0000:0000:000A

[Levish]

yea, IPv4 is alot easier to express

[Helmore]

I guess my biggest obstacle is understanding the addresses. They seem like an unnecessary complication. It's going to become much harder to do a lot of tasks.

Yes, I understand that it will make switching more efficient and whatnot due to the new data in the address, but I still don't like it. Find a way to express it that isn't three miles long. You could cover most of the useful address space using 12 digits if you did full alphanumeric. A4DY.99DP.1OBM.QQ47 = 25% of 64-bit address space (4.6 million trillion addresses). Instead, we have this mess: 2001:4F6A9D8:FFB3:0000:0000:0000:000A

I like the smiley in your example address

[Eastcoasthandle]

Don't you need support from:
-your modem
-your router (if you use one)
-your ISP
-your OS (win7/Vista)
-and the websites you visit
just to use IPv6?

[FischOderAal]

Time for IPv6

[Serra]

Worst. Disaster. Ever.

I know how to do IPv6 (enough so that I passed a CCIE exam featuring it), but I agree that I absolutely abhor the idea of typing in IPv6 addresses going forward. I have had days when I had to spend an hour typing in IPv4 addresses... the idea of extending that one hour to 4 by adding more numbers and complicated characters (you can't type ":" on a number pad) makes me cry.

I blame all those companies that still hold class A addresses and use them internally rather than RFC 1918 (private) addresses. The best example of this is IBM - they use the 9.x.x.x address space internally, yet they don't actually route it outside their network... so they're using public addressing as private addressing! Worse, I would say the majority of sites have been re-addressed since private addressing was introduced, they just don't care to move to it.


@Eastcoasthandle - Yes. Outside of China I don't think any country on earth is actually set up for it. The worst part is that the IPv6 address assignment hasn't even gone through yet, so your ISP doesn't own addresses yet. Part of the problem is that a number of asian countries all want IPV6 addresses that have '8's in them (because it's lucky), a lot of western countries want the '7's, and other stupid, stupid things that we collectively all bureaucracy. And some countries are even complaining they want more than their suggested share of addresses, even though they literally have more than 1 address per square inch of area!

[ajaidev]

I have not been trained in IPv6

My networking had only IPv4 ahhh i am obsolete...

[Behemot]

I blame all those companies that still hold class A addresses and use them internally rather than RFC 1918 (private) addresses. The best example of this is IBM - they use the 9.x.x.x address space internally, yet they don't actually route it outside their network... so they're using public addressing as private addressing! Worse, I would say the majority of sites have been re-addressed since private addressing was introduced, they just don't care to move to it.

They actually did great investment when they bought the IP's. They'll sell them as soon as one IP will cost leg and half and make insane money

[DeathReborn]

I'm almost fully set for IPv6, just needs a few internet side changes and my ISP switches it on. DOCSIS 3.0 ftw.

[Manicdan]

is it just me or is the math a little off:

almost ninety per cent of IPv4 Internet addresses are taken

With less than 10 percent of the entire IPv4 address range still available

[Aerwidh]

Worst. Disaster. Ever.

I know how to do IPv6 (enough so that I passed a CCIE exam featuring it), but I agree that I absolutely abhor the idea of typing in IPv6 addresses going forward. I have had days when I had to spend an hour typing in IPv4 addresses... the idea of extending that one hour to 4 by adding more numbers and complicated characters (you can't type ":" on a number pad) makes me cry.

I blame all those companies that still hold class A addresses and use them internally rather than RFC 1918 (private) addresses. The best example of this is IBM - they use the 9.x.x.x address space internally, yet they don't actually route it outside their network... so they're using public addressing as private addressing! Worse, I would say the majority of sites have been re-addressed since private addressing was introduced, they just don't care to move to it.


@Eastcoasthandle - Yes. Outside of China I don't think any country on earth is actually set up for it. The worst part is that the IPv6 address assignment hasn't even gone through yet, so your ISP doesn't own addresses yet. Part of the problem is that a number of asian countries all want IPV6 addresses that have '8's in them (because it's lucky), a lot of western countries want the '7's, and other stupid, stupid things that we collectively all bureaucracy. And some countries are even complaining they want more than their suggested share of addresses, even though they literally have more than 1 address per square inch of area!

I agree with pretty much all you've said, though I've only gotten through CCNP 1 and 3 so far. Still, having to administer IPv6 would be crazy, IPv4 is enough already.

Someone should tell IBM "We've upgraded your IP range, you can now use 10.x.x.x instead", to get those addresses back from them

Btw, do you know if IANA have released those reserved addresses above the multicast range?

is it just me or is the math a little off:

Rounding error from calculating with floating numbers?

[[XC] Synthetickiller]

Nothing to do with URLs, it's all about IP addresses.

There I go again. Antibiotics + hydrocodone = confusion!

Thanks for the correction.

[zanzabar]

is it just me or is the math a little off:

only class a b and c addresses can be given out but there are also class d (multicast) and e (experimental), then u have the private network addresses also that cannot be assigned on the internet

I have not been trained in IPv6

My networking had only IPv4 ahhh i am obsolete...

same here i only have ipv4 training.


also why did they use the : instead of the . how do u express ports in ipv6

[Gramner]

how do u express ports in ipv6

[IP]:port, i.e. http://[::1]:80/

Yes, it's ugly.

[Mechromancer]

I guess my biggest obstacle is understanding the addresses. They seem like an unnecessary complication. It's going to become much harder to do a lot of tasks.

Yes, I understand that it will make switching more efficient and whatnot due to the new data in the address, but I still don't like it. Find a way to express it that isn't three miles long. You could cover most of the useful address space using 12 digits if you did full alphanumeric. A4DY.99DP.1OBM.QQ47 = 25% of 64-bit address space (4.6 million trillion addresses). Instead, we have this mess: 2001:4F6A9D8:FFB3:0000:0000:0000:000A

+1

IPv6 is a party for us. It's hard enough asking a user for their IP address as it is. You can tell IPv6 wasn't created by people that have to deal with it all day on the administration/support side.

[Mats]

I have had days when I had to spend an hour typing in IPv4 addresses... the idea of extending that one hour to 4 by adding more numbers and complicated characters (you can't type ":" on a number pad) makes me cry.

Using a custom keyboard layout file with ":" added wherever you want could help a bit in that situation.

But still, it seems like the guys behind IPv6 don't have any experience typing in IP addresses for hours . .

Extending IPv4 to 999.999.999.999 would make it very user friendly for humans,
although I guess it won't work well in computers (I'm certain someone will point this out to me even though I just wrote it.).

255.255.255.255 = 256^4 = 4294967296
999.999.999.999 = 1000^4 = 1000000000000

That's 232 times more addresses.

[zanzabar]

or just changing the ip to 3 digit hex that would add alot of space, 281200199450625

[Mats]

or just changing the ip to 3 digit hex that would add alot of space, 281200199450625

Yeah, and it would be more computer friendly, but those who doesn't have a hex number pad would still find it a bit more pita to use.
My idea was simply to get as much as possible out of a regular num pad.

Besides, I dunno how easy it is to use A - F in those countries who uses some other alphabet than the latin one.
Edit: Well that's an issue with IPv6 as well...

[WaterFlex]

I knew it 1 year ago already

[zanzabar]

Yeah, and it would be more computer friendly, but those who doesn't have a hex number pad would still find it a bit more pita to use.
My idea was simply to get as much as possible out of a regular num pad.

Besides, I dunno how easy it is to use A - F in those countries who uses some other alphabet than the latin one.
Edit: Well that's an issue with IPv6 as well...

ip v6 uses hex though so... and its just a pain since it has 8 digit sets but we are going to start with 4 and only use those untill we run out then unlock the 5th and a so on

[haylui]

we still have IPv6

[RaZz!]

Don't you need support from:
-your modem

no, only layer 3 hardware is affected (e.g. router or layer-3-switches), whereas a modem is layer 1.

-your router (if you use one)

yes

-your ISP

depends (see below). generally, yes, as it would make no sense to use ipv6 in your local network but not to your wan

-your OS (win7/Vista)

yes. furthermore ipv6 is also available for winxp (i think it's still more of a beta driver though )

-and the websites you visit

not necessarely
there are a lot of ways to connect ipv4 with ipv6 networks (and vice versa). for example dual-stack or 6to4. so even though you use ipv6 from your isp it's still possible to access ipv4 destinations. in regard your isp uses such techniques.

[...]
Someone should tell IBM "We've upgraded your IP range, you can now use 10.x.x.x instead", to get those addresses back from them
[...]

hehehe, imagine when the it-management happily informs their networking department about that "upgrade". i can almost hear the engineers laughing

I'd say, "Wow, that's a lot of :banana::banana::banana::banana: sites!" But, it's actually not. I wonder if there's some countdown clock for when the last URL will be sold, lol.

Improvement....... its the name of the game.

even though we're talking about IPs not URLs, you mean smth like that?
http://inetcore.com/project/ipv4ec/index_en.html
or
http://penrose.uk6x.com/
or
http://www.ipv4countdown.com/

;D

*edit*
just remembered what i forgot:
regarding the complexity of ipv6 addresses. i really don't think we're using ipv6 addresses the same way we did with ipv4. dns becomes way more important with ipv6 and sooner or later i think personal/home networks will be managed completely with host names.