IP addresses: Stock used up at the beginning of 2011
IPv4 at the end - interest in the successor IPv6 is still too low
The web runs out of addresses based on the IPv4 standard. Like the Number Resource Organization (NRO) http://www.nro.net announced, the unallocated pool now contains less than five percent of all possible IPv4 addresses. The last remaining IPv2011 should be assigned to the five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) early in 4, according to the NGO.
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So the time is pressing for the switch to the successor standard IPv6, which offers around 79,2 quadrillion times more Internet addresses. But many companies are still sluggish. "There is far too little interest on the part of customers," says Axel Föry, Director of Borderless Networks Architecture at Cisco DACH, in an interview with pressetext. A timely change saves costly double operations.
The end is near
The remaining supply of IPv4 addresses had only fallen below ten percent nine months ago and has now halved again. When finally only five of the originally 256 large address blocks remain, each RIR is assigned a last block. According to the NGO, this can be expected in early 2011. "Then it takes up to twelve months, depending on the region, for all addresses to be passed on to customers," says Föry. But then the IPv4 supply is finally exhausted.
"The topic affects everyone. Even those who have long enough IPv4 addresses in their own company will have to be able to communicate with IPv6 from outside," emphasizes the Cisco expert. In his experience, the interest in the new address standard has increased in the last few months, but it is already running out for a really timely implementation. Because for a meaningful IPv6 switch around 18 months are to be estimated, so Föry.
Now or too late
In view of the current forecast, it is likely that in a year and a half new Internet addresses will only be available in IPv6 format. If a company has not converted its existing IT infrastructure to the new standard by then, it has to go two ways with IPv4 and IPv6. "A double operation also means double costs," warns the expert.
One glimmer of hope is that, according to NGO statistics, IPv6 will finally gain momentum. The RIRs are expected to assign more than 2.000 IPv6 address blocks this year. That is an increase of over 70 percent compared to the previous year. However, the new standard also has potential downsides. Föry points out that everyone could easily get their own IPv6 address. "IPv6 will make the person more visible," he says. Big companies that are already preparing for the IPv6 era include Google and Facebook.(ck)
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