Internet running out of addresses

Vint Cerf, often called the “father of the Internet” and one of the world’s leading computer-networking scientists, said that businesses and consumers needed to act now to switch to the next generation of Internet addresses.

Unless preparations are made now, he said, some computers might not be able to go online and the connectivity of the Internet might be damaged.

Cerf said that Internet service providers in particular needed to prepare, and that time was running out for a smooth transition.

Every computer and online device is assigned a unique Internet Protocol address — Windows users can look up theirs by opening a command-prompt window and typing “ipconfig” — but the pool of unallocated numbers is about to dry up.

“This is like the Internet running out of telephone numbers and with no new numbers, you can’t have more subscribers,” he said.

So what needs to change? Mostly, it will be behind-the-scenes stuff.

When a user on the old Internet (let’s call it Internet I) types in the URL of a server on the new Internet (let’s call it Internet II), his browser will be directed to a connection point between Internet I and Internet II which will do the address translation.

Why haven’t we made the switch yet? Simple economics. There’s a lot of money invested in the infrastructure of Internet I. A lot of training will be needed for the systems administrators and technicians of Internet II. A lot of new network tools will have to be developed.

So until we can drag all of the Internet service providers, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century, sit back and feel safe, knowing that Internet I will be around for a long time to come. After all, many people are still using dial-up, right?

Most Commented Posts

• A Few Minutes With Tim (266)
• Part 2: Broadening The Funnel (36)
• Build it FAST Lesson 1 (29)
• Who is Tim Brocklehurst? (24)
• Thanks for visiting! (24)