Free iPhone app tracks IPv4 depletion

Some folks may not be worried about IPv4 depletion, but for those who are, there’s a neat application called ByeBye v4 for the iPhone and iPod Touch that tracks the number of IPv4 addresses remaining.

The application provides other information, too, such as the number of IPv6 addresses in use, estimated number of days before IPv4 runs out, and the percentage of TLDs using the new system.

The tool is also available as a Windows Gadget, iGoogle Gadget, and webpage widget. It has an average rating of 4/5 stars in the Apple App Store.

Is there really a need for IPv6?

For some time now, ARIN has been pushing providers to switch to IPv6. The steady rise of computer use along with the proliferation of other web devices like cell phones and PDAs has put a heavy burden on the IPv4 system, which is expected to run out of addresses by 2011. Not so, says Paul Rubens in a recent Enterprise Networking Article.

Rubens states that most network providers have been too lazy to upgrade to IPv6, but argues there is no reason for them to spend the money on the equipment to do so. There are numerous changes that could be made to the antiquated IPv4 system to further its lifespan, including freeing up hundreds of millions of IPs reserved but not being used and using Network Address Translation.
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Verizon to Require Use of IPv6 in New Cell Phones

Techies in the know are aware that the current IP address system, IPv4, will run out of addresses by early 2011. To avoid a cataclysmic event two years from now when people find they can’t get on the Internet, the need to switch to IPv6 is being chiseled into the foreheads of technology CEOs from San Jose to Shanghai.

Part of the reason why we’re running out of IP addresses much faster than analysts predicted is the proliferation of cell phone usage. Believe it or not, but mobile phones use the same IP addresses our computers do to get online and make phone calls. In fact, there are more mobile subscribers than computer owners. With cell phone ownership expected to reach 5.2 billion by 2011, a huge stain has already been placed on the teetering IPv4 system.

Thankfully, mobile providers are starting to step in and do something about the problem. Verizon announced recently that it will require phones on its new LTE (Long Term Evolution) network to support IPv6.

LTE promises faster speeds and greater efficiency then current mobile network technology. It will be deployed over the next few years by all major carriers.

But should Verizon be applauded for its decision? Absolutely not. Truthfully, their decision to jump on the IPv6 bandwagon is too late to make much of a difference. By the time it starts freeing up IPv4 addresses with its new phones I expect most Internet providers will have made the switch to IPv6.

Source: CircleID

ICANN Policy Updates for May

ICANN made quite a few policy updates last month. Most of it was just talk, with the non-profit saying they were going to explore “this and that,” or set up a committee to consider x and y. Either way, it’s nice to know that the folks in California are at least pretending to do something.

Domain Transfers
ICANN wants to make it easier to transfer domains from registrar to registrar. A number of changes are currently under consideration that would speed this process up. One would involve using the Internet Registry Information Service (IRIS) to transfer contact information to the new registrar.

The most important topic discussed was a proposal to change current policy to prevent registrars from reversing domain transfers conducted by customers. Here we are in 2009 and this still hasn’t been addressed?
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Team ARIN To the Rescue…

For years, the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) has been pushing for a switch to IPv6, stressing that the IPv4 system still used by most providers will run out of addresses very soon.

In an effort to promote the switch, the non-profit has created Team ARIN:

Team ARIN is a group of superheroes that represent four of the principles by which the Internet is operated and governed: Accessibility, Responsibility, Information, and Neutrality. ARIN and its community strive to work under these principles. Technical information describing how Regional Internet Registries allocate Internet number resources like IPv4 and IPv6 addresses is freely available on websites across the Internet. We hope that by presenting this information in a fun and informal way, we will give you a new perspective on both important technical facts and the principles under which ARIN operates.

So far, three issues have been released. The latest, entitled “FUD 2.0 – Return of the FUD Factor!”, chronicles Team ARIN’s defeat of the evil Agent FUD, who tries to stop the switch to IPv6.

The comics were featured recently at Interop Las Vegas. Internet News had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Megan Kruse of ARIN about them.

New Website Pushes for IPv6 Adoption

European IP registry RIPE NCC launched a new site today encouraging providers to switch to IPv6.

Called IPv6 Act Now, the website warns of IPv4 address depletion:

Right now, 88% of all IPv4 addresses have been allocated, and it is widely accepted that we will run out entirely by 2011. The technical community has been aware of this address shortage for many years, and has long recognised that a new protocol was required to meet future demand for unique Internet addresses. It was with this in mind that Internet Protocol version six (IPv6) was developed in the mid-90s.

This is after the Internet Association for Internet Numbers (ARIN) sent out a letter to web hosts earlier this month warning that unless the switch to IPv6 was made, IPv4 addresses would run out in two years. ARIN also introduced a new policy that makes it harder to obtain addresses on the older IP system.

The IP protocol forms the backbone of the web, providing datacenters with the IP addresses needed to route web traffic. Several versions of the system exist. The most commonly used, IPv4, has been in service since the 1980s. Due to the explosion of the Internet over the last twenty years, IPv4 addresses are being gobbled up at a rate much faster than web architects ever expected, ushering in the era of IPv6, which has a virtually infinite amount of addresses.

Last year, RIPE gave its European member states the goal of switching 25% of their web users to IPv6 by 2010. From 2006 to 2008, usage of the new IP system grew 300%.

Need for IPv6 Switch Stressed as IPv4 Addresses Run Out

Several days ago, the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) sent a letter out to many web hosts and Internet service providers warning about the depletion of IPv4 addresses. It states that if these organizations don’t reduce their usage, IPV4 addresses will run out in two years. Previous reports had estimated the supply wouldn’t be depleted until 2023.

The IP protocol forms the backbone of the web, providing data centers with the IP addresses needed to route web traffic. Several versions of the system exist. The most commonly used, IPv4, has been in service since the 1980s. Due to the explosion of Internet and mobile devices over the last twenty years, IPv4 addresses are being gobbled up at a rate much faster than web architects ever expected.

To keep addresses available, ARIN will introduce a new policy on May 18 requiring additional authorization before any new addresses are handed out. A new revision of the IP protocol, IPv6, has widely available for a long time. ARIN is encouraging organizations to move to the new system, which is backward compatible with IPv4. Many web hosts have made the switch. Whereas IPv4 has room for only 4.3 billion addresses, the new system can handle 3.4×10³⁸