One for the History Books: Last IPv4 Addresses Allocated Today

[zalbard]

Source: http://www.icann.org/

Today is a historic milestone for the Internet.

After years of rapid Internet expansion, the pool of available unallocated addresses for IPv4, the original Internet Protocol (IP) Addressing system, is completely depleted. But don’t worry. This is not the IPocalypse, as some members of the media have called it.

ICANN, along with the Number Resources Organization (NRO), the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), and the Internet Society (ISOC), have been preparing the Internet for this moment for years. IPv6, a new Internet Protocol with a massive amount of address space, is already taking over as IPv4 runs out. For most users, all it means is that your computer’s IP address today might look like 192.0.2.10 (an example IPv4 address), but soon it may resemble 2001:0DB8::/feed:b766 (an example IPv6 address).

Why are IP Addresses such a big deal? Simply put, it’s because they are the numbers assigned to computer network interfaces, and without them, our computers, servers, and devices would not be able to communicate with each other. Online browsing, email, and smartphones all depend on IP Addresses to work.

Want to know more? Read the ICANN press release on the exhaustion of IPv4.

Learn more about IP Addresses and the transition from IPv4 to IPv6.

Just in time for 2012!

[DeltZ]

IPv6 has been around for ages. It's just older OS or whatever don't support it so it hasn't taken on i think

[Sparky]

I'm so used to ipv4 after using it for years that getting used to ipv6 nomenclature is going to be a little tough I think.

[danielkza]

IPv6 has been around for ages. It's just older OS or whatever don't support it so it hasn't taken on i think

For IPv6 to work all steps of the chain must support it. Many ISPs are not ready yet, and a great deal of ADSL/cable modems and home routers aren't either.

[Okda]

how the hell am i supposed to remember my computer's LAN ip after migrating to IPv6

this is the first time to see an IPv6 example and it is not easy at all

[endlesszeal]

hooray! even more, ahmmm, adult oriented entertainment sites available

[Lanek]

For IPv6 to work all steps of the chain must support it. Many ISPs are not ready yet, and a great deal of ADSL/cable modems and home routers aren't either.

This is the real problem normally, the plan was to have 90% of infrastructure compatible with both Ipv4 and Ipv6, then switch, but actually even governement don't use Ipv6, and only 40% of the infrastructure are compatible Ipv6.... they have got many years for make the switch, and now they will need to do it in a hurry... brillant

[nn_step]

wow, the biggest non-event of the week. *yawn* barely even news; definitely not history book material.

[Den Leiw]

my ISP doesn't even offer ipv6 yet and to be honest I think many will be stuck with ipv4 for a while, really wonder how that's going to end...

[Macadamia]

my ISP doesn't even offer ipv6 yet and to be honest I think many will be stuck with ipv4 for a while, really wonder how that's going to end...

Everything gets NATed, not that much cause for concern I suppose.

[Russian]

For IPv6 to work all steps of the chain must support it. Many ISPs are not ready yet, and a great deal of ADSL/cable modems and home routers aren't either.

This.

Go to newegg and look for IpV6 routers and switches and modems. NOT CHEAP.

p.s. with LTE we're going to need IPv6. Good thing LTE is designed for IPv6.

[AnXioZ]

Uhm, anyone heard of tunneling?

[vab206]

can you imagine the price premium theyre going to charge the end consumer for equipment to be able to use ipv6, they'll be abelt o borrow the money and make it back 3 fold. investors will jump all over it.

[thebluemeanie1]

This.

Go to newegg and look for IpV6 routers and switches and modems. NOT CHEAP.

p.s. with LTE we're going to need IPv6. Good thing LTE is designed for IPv6.

http://www.sixxs.net/wiki/Routers IPv6 compatible routers out of the box. The DIR-615 costs all of 30 dollars. NOT CHEAP.

DD-WRT also supports IPv6 which gives you even more options.

[Vinas]

http://www.sixxs.net/wiki/Routers IPv6 compatible routers out of the box. The DIR-615 costs all of 30 dollars. NOT CHEAP.

DD-WRT also supports IPv6 which gives you even more options.

I'm using it now with my home computers. It causes my phone to lock up though when I try to connect via wifi. So I made a separate vlan with an ipv4 DCHP server for all my old, IPv4 devices. DD-WRT is just awesome!

[Serra]

It's really just the last BLOCK that ICANN holds. ISP's have been stocking up for some time now, there's no immediate threat.


That said, we must unfortunately begin to really think about IPv6. It's such a bad solution it's not even funny, being riddled with inherent security flaws despite attempts to be far more secure than IPv4, but I suppose it's the best the committee was able to come up with. That's why the current best practice for companies is still to not even touch IPv6 until you absolutely must... everyone's hoping a lot of the issues get shored up somehow.


The good news for us network consultants: tons of work in the future for network transitions.

The bad news for us network consultants: tons of work for network transitions.

[Pantsu]

ISPs are not too keen on footing the bill for IPv6 so expect NATting to continue and soon you'll start paying absurd sums for your IP addresses. There's just no incentive to move to IPv6 for ISPs, they're making more money if they don't.

[DTU_XaVier]

What would be the problem with, I don't know, instead of making IPv6 some incoherent string of numbers and symbols, just slapping another 2 strings of numbers to the existing system?

Best Regards

[danielkza]

What would be the problem with, I don't know, instead of making IPv6 some incoherent string of numbers and symbols, just slapping another 2 strings of numbers to the existing system?

Best Regards

That would get you 48 bits, IPv6 addresses are 64 bit. I think they chose to overcompensate instead of going through this whole mess all over again, but I still doubt that we could somehow use up all the 281 trillion addresses that make 48 bits.

[zalbard]

can you imagine the price premium theyre going to charge the end consumer for equipment to be able to use ipv6, they'll be abelt o borrow the money and make it back 3 fold. investors will jump all over it.

I bet they are going to sell this as a feature, yes. That it's faster and more secure, and other BS.

[Cactus Whine]

wait till you get a load of IPv8,

Longer than Pi,

[Mechanical Man]

What would be the problem with, I don't know, instead of making IPv6 some incoherent string of numbers and symbols, just slapping another 2 strings of numbers to the existing system?

Best Regards

LOL, its just different type of representing bits.

[Klarko]

Would it be wise to invest in the company doing all the IPv6 work? Since pretty much everyone will need their stuff worldwide?

[Serra]

Would it be wise to invest in the company doing all the IPv6 work? Since pretty much everyone will need their stuff worldwide?

Probably not as a direct result.

There won't be just 1-2 companies implementing IPv6 for everyone in the future, it'll be handled by individual in-house IT departments and many consulting companies. So you would think you could invest in the consulting companies, but flat routing work doesn't typically represent the major profit area for a company... you'd want to look at features like voice, video, security, or datacenter work for that. Don't get me wrong, routing is a stable core of work and there will be jobs created to do these conversions at some point, but a conversion gig doesn't necessarily need a lot of time and it doesn't create long-term relationships/dependencies like specialty services do.

So the core practice will grow, but conversion work will likely not be a large factor into the long-term success of a consulting company nor particularly the short-term success.


Edit: I forgot to mention that because this will a large cost for something which gives a company no practical benefit, it's likely to be a sacrificial purchase... eg. if you go for a conversion in 2011, another network item which would be "nice" to have but which isn't necessary will probably get the boot. That tends to flatten out the impact somewhat, though the fact that X dollars is being spent only on professional services rather than hardware + professional services should improve profitability somewhat (low margins in hardware).