In news that could impact the whole of the web hosting industry, the
American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) suggests that the world will shortly run of IPv4 addresses. The organization, which has headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia, United States, is the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for North American and Caribbean countries. Its role is Internet number resource management for IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, as well as AS numbers. According to ARIN, a revision of IPv4 allocation is urgently needed as they will be depleted “within weeks”.
Every device that uses the Internet (PCs, laptops, mobile phones, etc.) has an IP address (a unique number) which it is be recognized by. Traditionally, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have been able to buy several hundred thousand IPs at any given time. Staggeringly, only around 130,000 IPv4 addresses currently remain. A solution to the problem has been prepared, but has yet to be implemented. The IPv4 format offers a 32-bit system that provides around 4 billion four digit numbers. The 128-bit IPv6 system was developed in 1999 and is ready for use.
Once IPv6 has been implemented, IPv4 and IPv6 numbers will eventually run in tandem. Although the Internet is unlikely to grind to a halt, once there are no more IPv4 numbers available for purchase, it is likely organizations will be charged a lot to transition to IPv6 IP addresses. This has obvious implications for web hosting companies which, if ill-prepared, might eventually have to turn down customers or face major costs.
What do you think of the IPv4 situation? Let us know your thoughts. Add your comments below.
