The next global shortage...domain names?

[Rockefeller]

The world could face a shortage of internet addresses in less than three years, a new report on the future of the internet economy by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development argues.

According to the OECD, nearly 85% of all available internet protocal (IP) addresses are already in use, and if current trends continue, by 2011 we are likely to have run out of addresses entirely.

IP addresses are those funny little numbers with dots between them - 203.63.254.219 for example. Domain names get mapped to IP addresses. When you enter a domain name in your browser, it goes off and translates it to an IP address. IP addresses are what the Internet understands when it's sending your messages around.

The problem, according to the OECD, is that we are all still stuck on an older generation internet protocol called Ipv4, which limits the number of addresses that can be issued.

The OECD wants business and government to upgrade equipment and systems to a new protocol developed over the 1990s called IPv6, which apparently hasn’t happened so far because of costs associated with the switchover. The IP address shortage means the switchover needs to happen soon, according to the OECD, or the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of internet use could quickly decline.



Source

 

[Biggie]

switch over?

that will be like the anxiety experienced when the year 2000 was about to hit.

only exponentially greater


if, there is a switchover

will there be a "new" .com?

what will happened to the "old" .com's?

will we get "grandfathered-over"?

still retaining our .this and .that?


what's going to happen to all the traffic at the time of the switch?

suppose the traffic gets....redirected?

 

[H2FC]

If its true we've already used nearly 85% of all available internet protocal (IP) addresses then we will need more of them in the future but I don't see how this will effect the existing domain names in anyway. The internet will require more IP addresses as new innovations and technologies come into play. As an example just think about the millions of new green and alternative energy names recently registered.

If anything the need for more IP addresses will result in more opportunities for Domainers imho.

 

[HarveyJ]

Ehhh, this is being overblown like Y2K was...
It's a big issue, certainly. But are people just sitting on thumbs doing nothing? Hell no. The boffins that deal with all this stuff are plugging away to make sure it happens in the nick of time, just like with Y2K.

There may be a few issues that slip through the net, but by and large, it'll be business as usual I reckon

 

[harleyx]

Domain names aren't getting changed, it's the underlying number based system that is. Domain names are a totally different system from IP addresses, that's why the two have to be mapped together.

As far as a switchover, like any major infrastructure change it'll be phazed in. You're not going to wake up tomorrow and find out everyone is being forced to switch to IPv6 by Sunday at midnight. C'mon, use some common sense.

IPv6 already exists, and the root DNS servers already support it. It has been in use since sometime around 2004 when ICANN made the upgrade. It's just a matter of getting companies switched over, which as anyone whose ever pushed for an upgrade knows, money is always the kicker.

You guys aught to know this stuff, it's the foundation of the domain business. In fact, when IPv6 does make it into mainstream use by the masses it will forever cement the value of a domain name in place.

You think it's hard memorizing 4 blocks of 3 plus a port (192.168.0.1:21) to avoid using a domain name? Try memorizing 8 blocks of hex (2001:0db8:85a3:08d3:1319:8a2e:0370:7348:443)

 

[sprosser]

The idea is these protocols will exist on the same name servers, not separate standalones to ensure traffic and name resolution remains as is. In fact, many name servers are already in place to answer to both, including primary root servers as Harley mentions. There will not need to be any redirects (or grandfathering). So long as registrars and hosting providers (or any system that answer DNS inquiries) update their nameservers to include IPv6 to coexist with IPv4, then traffic and domains names will respond exactly as is -- and most are already set to do just this or actively working on it.

There is a public meeting at ICANN in Paris for anyone interested. https://st.icann.org/feed/workspace/ipv6-migration?category=Recent Changes

 

[loscocco]

the sky is falling!!!!!

 

[mulligan]

the sky is falling!!!!!

Again? Damn .. my insurance premiums are gonna be out of sight if this sky thing can't just stay where it belongs!

 

[draggar]

You think it's hard memorizing 4 blocks of 3 plus a port (192.168.0.1:21) to avoid using a domain name? Try memorizing 8 blocks of hex (2001:0db8:85a3:08d3:1319:8a2e:0370:7348:443)

Hex is easier to convert to and from binary than DEC. :smilewinkgrin:

Besides, anyone here should be ashamed if they don't know HEX, let alone fluent in it. :lol::smilewinkgrin:

 

[katherine]

Besides, anyone here should be ashamed if they don't know HEX, let alone fluent in it. :lol::smilewinkgrin:

D|\|Ph0rU/\/\ r0(|<$

 

[hittjw]

You know most DNS appliances and even Bind 9 can handle addressing for Ipv6 addresses.

The problem is that the '.com' space is being polluted by useless garbage pages ... while limited name availability may boost prices a little, high traffic'd domains with valuable content will go through the roof if someone just must have that name.

Domain names will work the same with or without ipv6 ... it's just will you have the name someone wants when it comes time to put a revenue generating site online? Or will the useless parked pages force registrars to audit usage and force reassignment?

Best,

Justin

 

[Edder]

Will IPv4 IP addresses be worth anything when they're all gone? Ideally, a shorter IP address is easier to remember and could sell on a new aftermarket of sorts..

 

[Eraser]

Stop using dedicated IPs and start using shared IPs to host sites. Then there won't be any need for IPv6.

 

[harleyx]

Will IPv4 IP addresses be worth anything when they're all gone? Ideally, a shorter IP address is easier to remember and could sell on a new aftermarket of sorts..

No. The masses don't even have a clue what an IP address is, let alone that a migration is occuring. When IPv6 is the standard, they'll still be blissfully ignorant.

 

[DNP]

Dynamic IP addressing made much more sense when dialup access was prevalent. Now, with lots of users being connected all the time via cable, DSL and FIOS, permanent connections are very much the norm and it is like having a static IP ... except that the ISP reserves the option of renumbering clusters in the middle of the night. As residential subscribers are added to, and dropped from, the network, this renumbering facilitates maintenance of the routing tables.

However, there is also an element of profit for the ISPs, many of whom charge a high monthly fee for a static IP address ... a charge that I do not believe to be justifiable. I doubt that they would so willingly give up that additional revenue stream and would find any rationale to continue that practice even when there is no longer any shortage of IP addresses.

 

[Ehsan]

I think i read that a few months back somewhere may be DNF ...... lets see what happens.... heres an idea start buying ip's and sell them when they run out

 

[tldrental]

I think i read that a few months back somewhere may be DNF ...... lets see what happens.... heres an idea start buying ip's and sell them when they run out

Buying IP's blocks aren't always the easiest thing to do anymore..

 

[katherine]

Indeed buying IP blocks is expensive.

 

[Rubber Duck]

Well you go on about splitting the Internet. The big risk here is that America which has bucket load of IP4 will stay with it, whilst eveyone else moves on. That is going to be a major technological divide.

 

[Theo]

Stop using dedicated IPs and start using shared IPs to host sites. Then there won't be any need for IPv6.

Google penalizes sites that share IPs.