Don't expect hosts to continue being generous with IPs

When I signed up for my first dedicated server three years ago, my provider handed out IPs as if they grew on trees. Just for signing up, I received 5 and was allowed unlimited add-on addresses. At one point, I had around 12 IPs on one box. Many hosts have followed this practice in order to stay competitive, but don’t expect it to continue much longer.

The fact of the matter is, few have made the switch to IPv6 and we are slated to run out of IPv4 addresses in less than two years. Until the situation is resolved, hosts will have to be much more conservative with their IPs or risk running out.

Expect free add-on addresses to become a thing of the past. Additional IPs will probably always be available, but at a cost. The days of indulgent IP allocation are near their end.

Photo | steved_np3

Comments are closed.