PC Pals Forum

Technical Help & Discussion => General Tech Discussion, News & Q&A => Topic started by: Clive on November 01, 2007, 08:22

Title: Internet addresses exhausted by 2010
Post by: Clive on November 01, 2007, 08:22

Internet founding father Vint Cerf is urging ISPs to deliver the next generation of IP addresses, before the current pool runs out completely.
Every device that goes online, whether it is a router, phone or computer, is allocated a unique IP address. IPv4 currently provides four billion addresses, but the boom in popularity of laptops and smart phones means those addresses are likely to be used up by 2010.

In order to prevent a situation where users can't get online with some devices, Cerf, the outgoing chairman of Icann, told the BBC that ISPs needed to migrate to IPv6, which provides 340 trillion trillion trillion separate addresses.

IPv6 was standardised 10 years ago but rollout has been fitful, and has so far found little traction outside Asia.

"The reason they [ISPs] haven't - which is quite understandable - is that customers haven't asked for it yet," Cerf told the BBC. "My job, whether with my Icann hat on or not, is to persuade them to ask for it."

One potential barrier to uptake of IPv6, however, is its incompatibility with the current standard which would require ISPs to run two separate systems consecutively, escalating costs which would ultimately be passed onto the customer.

"To be clear - if we finally exhaust the IPv4 pool it doesn't mean the internet stops working," Cerf says in the BBC interview. "But people wanting an IPv4 address won't get one. If there is an internet that does not support IPv6, not getting an IPv4 address means not getting on the net."

Title: Re: Internet addresses exhausted by 2010
Post by: Rik on November 01, 2007, 09:58

So guard your IP address with your life. Perhaps we should be able to register them, as we can domains! :)

Title: Re: Internet addresses exhausted by 2010
Post by: Reno on November 01, 2007, 17:04

Over here we have to get a business account (about 4x the cost of residential) with our ISPs before we can grab a static ip address. I would love to have a static ip. I've been using no-ip for the last three years and I'm ready to move up.

Title: Re: Internet addresses exhausted by 2010
Post by: Sandra on November 02, 2007, 00:06

The ISP I have just signed up with gave me a choice of either static or dynamic at no extra charge Bob  :)

Title: Re: Internet addresses exhausted by 2010
Post by: Rik on November 02, 2007, 01:21

IDNet only use static.

Title: Re: Internet addresses exhausted by 2010
Post by: cavillas on November 03, 2007, 15:26

You know where you are with a static. ;D

Title: Re: Internet addresses exhausted by 2010
Post by: Rik on November 03, 2007, 15:40

Hi Alf :)

Yup, with static you're on the end of a short sharp shock.  :devil:

Title: Re: Internet addresses exhausted by 2010
Post by: Simon on November 03, 2007, 16:07

I've been static on this couch for far too long!

:welcome: Alf!

Title: Re: Internet addresses exhausted by 2010
Post by: Rik on November 03, 2007, 16:35

So that would make you Couch Lightning...  ;D

Title: Re: Internet addresses exhausted by 2010
Post by: Simon on November 03, 2007, 17:08

 ::) :)x