We’re Running Out of… Internet?
The Internet is running out of unique IP addresses but the average consumer need not worry.
Yes, I’m aware the title is grammatically incorrect but I’ve heard stranger things from the less technically-inclined. (For the record, “Internet” should be capitalized. It’s a proper noun when used in the context of the world wide web/email/browsing/etc. It is the shortening of “interconnected networks” but hardly anyone, outside of network engineers ever use that phrase.)
Over the past week and a bit, stories began popping up in the mainstream media about the eventual exhaustion of IP (Internet protocol) addresses. Many of these non-technical news sources went on to describe some of the outcomes of this, claiming everything from the halting of electronic commerce to emails getting lost in the tubes, a la ex-US Senator Ted Stevens.
So let’s set some facts straight but first, some background.
An IP address is a number that is unique to every single device connected to the Internet. It is that device’s address and without it, any traffic – such as YouTube videos, email, web pages, Skype calls, etc. – wouldn’t be able to get from one device to another. When the Internet was first set up, the protocol, called IP version 4 (IPv4) that specified how devices communicated used a 32-bit address.
[In binary, 32 bit = ########.########.########.######## where # = 1 or 0.]
Arithmetic tells us that this allows for 232 possible addresses, or 4,294,967,296 addresses (minus special & reserved addresses). Fast forward 25 years and there are now six plus billion people on the planet, hundreds of millions of cellular phones, millions of web sites and many other devices scrambling to get online.
A quick look at my home theatre shows 4 devices connected online: my HDTV, PlayStation 3, AV receiver, and media server. Fortunately, since they’re connected through my home network, they only use up 1 address – the one associated with my Internet connection through my Internet provider.
(If you want to find out what your IP is, visit www.whatismyip.com or www.supportdetails.com.)
Expert predictions vary on when IPv4 addresses will run out, but the general consensus is it’ll happen in various regions in the next 1-3 years. To resolve this situation, the Internet is slowly being upgraded to IP version 6 which uses 128-bit addresses. This means there are 2128 (about 3.4×1038) addresses.
Unfortunately, unlike the transition from DVD to Blu-Ray, IPv6 isn’t backwards compatible with IPv4 meaning that devices will have to be upgraded or replaced. Fortunately, this is still a ways off and there are a few stop-gap measures that can be implemented in the interim. Soon, having a unique or “static” IP will become a premium service and Internet service providers may start forcing customers to share IP addresses. This brings up an issue with certain applications.
Onto the next bit of technical background: Each IP address has multiple ports. This is akin to a single house having multiple doors and windows. For example, your web browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer,, Google Chrome, etc.) communicates on port 80. Skype communicates on multiple ports, including 80 and 443. This is how you can have multiple programs accessing the Internet simultaneously. It’s also how many companies control Internet access. e.g. blocking the port for MSN Messenger or gaming.
When each customer/device has a unique IP address, it was like every person lived in a single, detached home on a street. Traffic could be addressed to a specific door/window (port) of a specific house (IP address). If multiple customers are forced to share the same IP address, certain applications will be unable to deliver traffic to the right person because they are only capable of addressing a home (IP address) and door/window (port).
Fortunately, Internet providers and application developers are implementing IPv6 and working on various solutions to ensure that Amazon.com will still be available (Facebook is already IPv6 compliant), Firefox will be able to access your online banking securely, and your Internet-connected fridge continues to update the shopping list on your smartphone.
Existing services such as email, online banking, online shopping and others will continue to work as everything is transitioned to IPv6 so the average user will not see any change. As addresses run out, many recent programs and devices will see updates/upgrades issued to support IPv6 and future devices will ship with IPv6 built in. Windows and Mac already have IPv6 support.
Fortunately, this is another time where massive amounts of technical, behind-the-scenes work is being done to ensure that society continues to function – just like the colossal amount of work done to ensure Year 2000 compliance.
Excellent article on the fallacy of the Internet addresses dilemma. 4.2 billion unique addresses sound like a large number however in relation to future growth when one looks at the scope of the markets product growth, where even some fridges are Internet enabled. What’s next an Internet enabled lunch box to tell Mom if the kid ate his goat cheese and lettuce sandwich? New areas of addresses are being used, soldiers in the field, military equipment, rifles and other smart armaments, military and civilian ships such as cruise lines, smaller vessels, air travel, the list is almost endless.
The fallacy of incompatibility issues is an easy fix. We can use dual-stack techniques allowing IPv4 & 6 to run concurrently within devices and along networks. During host, router or regional upgrading tunnelling techniques avoid dependencies. Backward capabilities are built into Operating Systems, USB 2-3, and so it is with backward translation of IPv6 to IPv4.
Both will be used in combination using a multi-protocol approach. Based on a DNS response, if the destination has XXXX record then use IPv6 else IPv4 a very simple mathematical rerouting technique used in all programming languages. This allows an indefinite co-existence of both IP protocols until through software and some hardware upgrades everyone will be on the same page. Encapsulation allows IPv6 packets to ride inside IPv4 packets as an MPLS frame, or can be manually configured or can use a web-based service.
Then end is not in sight.
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Not sure at all that three to seven year old modems will get an ipv6 update.
Good day, Just read this article about OJ. Paul: an IP location database can be used to generate powerful and accurate results. Bloggers and content managers use this facility to alter content, all based on demographic preferences of online visitors. As a result, the website likeability factor increases, without leveraging the necessity of manually checking in every user profile… Isn’t he reason?.