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The exhaustion of IPv4 address space

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the the-sky-is-falling-the-sky-is-falling dept.

FireFury03 writes "Cisco has an interesting article talking about estimates for the exhaustion of the IPv4 address space, and the inevitable move to IPv6. It predicts that the IPv4 address space will be exhausted in 2 - 10 years and suggests that it isn't worth trying to reclaim old allocations. With the mainstream use of IPv6 now potentially within the ROI period of many products the manufacturers need to start including support, but will the ISPs roll out native IPv6 networks before they absolutely have to? IMHO, ISPs providing native IPv6 support would be a Good Thing since it opens up the door for peer-to-peer technologies such as SIP without needing nasty NAT traversal hacks, but a major stumbling block seems to be a complete lack of IPv6 support on current consumer-grade DSL routers (tunneling over IPv4 is an option but requires more technical know-how from the end user)." Of course, Cisco may have some vested interest in driving up the IPv6-compatible router sales *cough*, but the bottom line is that the transition will have to happen at some point in the near future.

8 of 589 comments (clear)

  1. Dupe. by haeger · · Score: 5, Funny
    I know I've read this statement atleast yearly for the last 2-10 years.

    .haeger

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  2. It's a race! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Will *BSD die before the switchover to IPv6? Maybe a good Slashdot poll:

    [ ] Yes
    [ ] No
    [ ] Microsoft
    [ ] I don't know what IPv6 is, but I'll post anyway
    [ ] Cowboy Neal encodes my packets

  3. Re:Interesting by kihjin · · Score: 5, Funny

    2 - 10 would be -8 years. So this already happened, 8 years ago.

    Welcome to Slashdot.

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  4. All I know is by Hershmire · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have my IPv4 address. Why should I worry? Perhaps I can even sell mine to the highest bidder when the shite hits the fan.

    Hell, maybe the address shortage will create this crazy new "Road Warrior" world where IP addresses are a rare commodity and people have to fight each other with mad overclocked computers just to get some packets routed. And then Mel Gibson can play an ex-help-desk-guy-turned-hero whose Mac was killed by software pirates in the movie version.

    All I know is, I'm training my kids how to catch sharp boomerangs.

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  5. Re:Interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The REAL question is whether IP drilling operations in ANWR, Alaska will buy us any time. What about our strategic reserves? I believe our goal should be to reduce dependence on foriegn address space.

  6. Re:My cold, dead hands by Mondoz · · Score: 5, Funny
    I'm with you. This scares the hell out of me.
    Unless my host file grows to be the size of Montana...

    Do host files and IPITAV6 work together anyway?

    Besides, this is going to make my "There's no place like 127.0.0.1" shirt obsolete in 10 years!
    I'll have to get one with colons in it!
    Jeeze...

    --
    /sig
  7. Re:Is NAT Better? by MSZ · · Score: 5, Funny

    The benefits of IPv6 are numerous, however.
    Cisco marketing rep:
    NOBODY expects the IPv6!
    Our chief benefit is length... greater length of the packet header and and unrememberable addresses...
    Our two benefits are greater length of packet header and unrememberable addresses... and rewrite of all network apps....
    Our three benefits are length of packet header and unrememberable addresses... and rewrite of all network apps.... and an almost fanatical devotion to some broken standard....
    Our four... no...
    Amongst our benefits... Amongst our array of benefits... are such elements as greater length of packet header and unrememberable addresses...
    I'll come in again.

    But seriously, if IPv6 was so good, it would not require so much pushing. If the IPv4 exhaustion was real and imminent, it would not rquire so much pushing.

    --
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  8. ipv4 is underutilized by austad · · Score: 5, Funny

    We had an IT person in our london office at a previous job. When I was out there, I had mentioned that they were running out of IP's for the office and we'd have to assign a new block. She pulls out her spreadsheet which is fully poplated up to something like .253, and proceeds to show me all the empty space up to .999.

    Obviously we are underutilizing the ipv4 space, no one seems to use anything above .255. We should just all follow her lead and go to .999. It's like a network that goes to 11 man.

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