web's running out of addresses?

[TheEnforcer]

click link for full article....

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4819803.ece

Father of the internet: 'web is running out of addresses'

The world is about to run out of the internet addresses that allow computers to identify each other and communicate, the man who invented the system has told The Times.

Vint Cerf, the “father of the internet” and one of the world’s leading computer scientists, said that businesses and consumers needed to act now to switch to the next generation of net addresses. Unless preparations were made now, he said, some computers might not be able to go online and the connectivity of the internet might be damaged.

Mr 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 IP address, 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.

[RawAlex]

he has been on that same horse for about 5 years now. He is once again trying to scare more people into moving to IPv6.

The truth is there is no shortage of IP addresses, just incredible huge wastes of IP addresses. Most ISPs use gateways and require only a handful exposed address for their users (think AOL). Wireless access providers could do very similar.

Some schools have 1 IP per device in their school, with a full class A and more often attributed to their school. As a result, there is a "shortage" of IP addresses in the real world, but each student has a distinct IP for each of the computers in their dorm room.

[Dravyk]

he has been on that same horse for about 5 years now. He is once again trying to scare more people into moving to IPv6. I was just going to say, we keep putting off the move to IPv6 that the Japanese jumped on years ago.

Question, Alex. Is there something wrong with IPv6 that we shouldn't move to it?

Also, isn't there something called "Internet 2" that's been in the works for years now at some edu that would increase backbone or something?

[RawAlex]

I ain't technie enough to tell you exactly, but it appears that old equipment is the problem. Sort of like swapping from dial phones to touch tone, much of the network has to be upgraded before it will work for you.

[DannyCox]

All the major ISPs in Canada are set up with the equipment to handle IPv6, and do use it. Companies like Bombardier (my old company) use IPv6 internally across all their locations around the world.

[Hell Puppy]

Yeah, Cerf has been pushing for the leap to IPv6 for a while.

I think the real trick is how do you convert the millions of internet clients out there that are in the hands of non-techies. I'm sure some clever person can figure out a way to push out an MSI package or similar, but you only get one shot at getting it right.

Botch it and they cant get back online for a second try, and call centers are going to have a very bad day.