We're all out of Internet!

[leica]

IANA's last 5 IPv4 blocks are to be allocated within the next few days. I expect the RIRs to have this address space taken off their hands fairly quickly. ISPs' resources will then be limited to what they've managed to buy. There's no saying how long it'll take after that for ISPs to hand out the last of their IPv4 addresses. I really don't see deployment of IPv6 coming easily, though. I guess it finally has to happen.

[LiNuX]

Like I said in IRC, it was bound to happen sooner or later. And it's crazy that more than 4 billion IPs are currently being used on the internet now and it's almost over.

This feels like a gas shortage for the internet.

IPv6 is the solar power to save the day! But we have to wait for the sun to come up.

</metaphor>

[leica]

We have to wait for selfish ISPs to get off their asses! IPv6 should have been deployed a decade ago.

[LiNuX]

Yes it should have. Hopefully this pushes them.

[Jayhmmz]

Wow, I wasn't aware this was so close to happening wtf :/
Just think of how many leechers there are though, people who don't even use their internet much.

What's the difference between an IPv4 and an IPv6?

[leica]

IPv4 is the 'current' version of the IP protocol. It uses 32-bit addresses and has only about 4.3 billion possible addresses. IPv6 is 128-bit and has over 3.4x10^38 addresses. IPv4 addresses, the ones you're familiar with, are formatted like 192.168.0.1 while IPv6 addresses are formatted like 2001:db8:1f70::999:de8:7648:6e8.

The biggest problem is that to switch to IPv6, the majority of people will need new network equipment (routers, etc), some will need new operating systems (it doesn't even come with Windows XP by default, it probably isn't available at all in older OSes), and a lot of old software will fail. Not to mention the changes necessary at the infrastructure level, i.e., ISPs' systems.

[LiNuX]

IPv6 will work with windows 7 if it switched right now. But I'm sure that both operating systems as well as softwares will receive updates that will help them deal with the change.

But hardware on the other hand is another story. All of my network equipments at home are years old, I don't think any of them would work with IPv6. But even with hardware, you can have updated software that can help you deal with it.

I wish they did the whole ipv6 thing before I was so into the internet.

[Jayhmmz]

IPv4 is the 'current' version of the IP protocol. It uses 32-bit addresses and has only about 4.3 billion possible addresses. IPv6 is 128-bit and has over 3.4x10^38 addresses. IPv4 addresses, the ones you're familiar with, are formatted like 192.168.0.1 while IPv6 addresses are formatted like 2001:db8:1f70::999:de8:7648:6e8.

The biggest problem is that to switch to IPv6, the majority of people will need new network equipment (routers, etc), some will need new operating systems (it doesn't even come with Windows XP by default, it probably isn't available at all in older OSes), and a lot of old software will fail. Not to mention the changes necessary at the infrastructure level, i.e., ISPs' systems.

Thanks for the info.
Well, in that case, I agree that they should have pulled their finger out and done something about it years ago. I think that 'Epic Fail' would be an accurate and appropriate comment for this situation, considering the scale of fail that it's heading towards.