IP Addresses? It is Official, We are Out!

So, the last official IPv4 IP addresses have been assigned. Time to move on, people! Nothing to see here!

Last of IPv4 addresses assigned as focus turns to IPv6

The last IPv4 addresses have been allocated, highlighting the need for companies and organizations to move to a new system amid the ever increasing number of net-connected devices. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) made the announcement at an event in Miami on Thursday.

Each of the five regional Internet registries has been allocated a single block of around 16 million addresses. While true exhaustion would be hard to gauge — a small number of IP addresses will be held for several years for the transition — the rate at which the different registrars will burn through their allocations will likely vary.

APNIC, the registrar in the Asia-Pacific region, will likely run out first in the next few months. ARIN (North America’s registrar) and RIPE NCC (controlling Europe, Middle Eastern, and Russian IP needs) are in a better position, likely being able to make it through the year on their current allocation.

In developing nations such as Africa and Latin America (AfriNIC and LACNIC respectively), the much slower uptake of connected devices could mean their allocations of IPv4 addresses last for possibly several years. Either way, officials with IANA stress it is time to start thinking about IPv6.”

So… make your plans now!