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Free IPv4 Pool Now Down To Seven /8s
Zocalo writes "For those of you keeping score, ICANN just allocated another four /8 IPv4 blocks; 23/8 and 100/8 to ARIN, 5/8 and 37/8 to RIPE, leaving just seven /8s unassigned. In effect however, this means that there are now just two /8s available before the entire pool will be assigned due to an arrangement whereby the five Regional Internet Registries would each automatically receive one of the final five /8s once that threshold was met. The IPv4 Address Report counter at Potaroo.net is pending an update and still saying 96 days, but it's now starting to look doubtful that we're going to even make it to January."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv4_address_exhaustion
No kitty, this is my pot pie!
THE INTERWEBZ EXPLODZ!!! Ok no seriously, once ICANN allocates the final blocks the IPv4 space will be declared as "used up" but it is still up to the regional RIRs to *use* those IPs. ie if ICANN issues IPs they are not automatically used. Thus it will still be a while after that when they are really all used up. Even then we could maybe see a sharing of sub-blocks between regional RIRs (?) For example AfriNic will probably have quite a surplus if it receives another /8 range.
Lastly there are (not so preferable) technologies available such as NAT to allow the internet to continue functioning as it did (more or less).
In the end we will need to move to IPv6.
Here is a good blog post on why this wouldn't work: http://packetlife.net/blog/2010/oct/14/ipv4-exhaustion-what-about-class-e-addresses/
it is still up to the regional RIRs to *use* those IPs
Regional Internet Registry.
sic transit gloria mundi
status of comcast ip6 http://www.comcast6.net/ at&t - lagging http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/102710-att-ipv6.html
Any iOS device with 4.0 or later supports IPv6, including your iPhone.
Configure your home router to pass the port for whatever service you want to access from work to the system that can deal with it at home. Connect to that address using that port.
This is where the trouble begins. You can do this today because it is _your_ router doing the NAT. With no more IPv4 available, you will be sharing your IPv4 with your neighbours. This means carrier NAT. How do you program your ISPs router? You don't.