IPv4 Addresses Running Low, Mass Migration to IPv6 Set to Begin

By Beecher Tuttle, TMCnet Contributor

The Internet has officially run out of room, setting the stage for a costly, time-consuming and very necessary transition to IPv6, the next generation of Internet Protocol.

Earlier today, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), the group that is responsible for handing out the 4.3 billion Web addresses that are available through IPv4, doled out two of its final seven batches of online identifiers to APNIC, the Internet registry of the Asia Pacific region. This move prompted the final five blocks of addresses to be allocated to the other five regional Internet registries, even if they don't necessarily need them, according to EWeekEurope.

Long story short, IANA is now completely out of available Internet addresses – a reality that was thought to be impossible only a decade ago.

The good news is that a backup plan is already in place. The Internet world will simply have to transition to IPv6, which can provide a nearly unthinkable number of Internet addresses.

IPv6 was actually introduced in the 1990s, but still has only 0.25 percent adoption rate, according to the Wall Street Journal. The reason for this is because IPv4 and IPv6 are not compatible, meaning earlier adopters of the next generation protocol are actually at a disadvantage.

“The two protocols can coexist, but they can’t intercommunicate,” Nigel Titley, chairman of the regional Internet registry for Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia, told EWeekEurope. “Gradually, as IPv6 usage ramps up, IPv4 usage will ramp down. And eventually it will get to a point where we envisage retiring IPv4 altogether."

Unfortunately, the inevitable transition to IPv6 will be very costly. Businesses will need to install devices that are compatible with the new addresses and service providers will need be able to handle both protocols for some time.

"It's a gold mine [for equipment manufacturers] because everybody eventually has to upgrade" Joel Conover, a Cisco (News - Alert) senior marketing manager, told the Journal. Cisco began selling switches and routers that are compatible with IPv6 years ago.

Internet giants like Facebook (News - Alert) and Google have seen the writing on the wall and are getting prepared for the switch. On June 8, a number of large Internet companies will offer their services over IPv6 for a full day to test out how it works. Eventually, all companies will need to do the same.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications & technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO East 2011, taking place Feb 2-4, 2011, in Miami. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.

Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Tammy Wolf

(source: http://ipcommunications.tmcnet.com/topics/ip-communications/articles/140367-ipv4-addresses-running-low-mass-migration-ipv6-set.htm)