This coming summer, there are bigger things to worry about as opposed to having tickets to good seats for whatever blockbusters that are being shown on the silver screen. Yup, it looks like the US might actually run out of IPv4 addresses later in the summer. While this might seem all doom and gloom, not everybody will be prepared. In a nutshell, the supply of IPv4 addresses is running low at the moment, and estimates point to a summer clearout.
Basically, just about every single device such as a desktop and laptop, server, scanner, printer, modem, router, smartphone, and tablet will be assigned an IP address, and the IP address functions as a unique identifier when it comes to keeping track of one’s online whereabouts. IP version 4 (IPv4), being the most widely deployed standard, has a drawback – it does not have an inexhaustible supply. With both Asia and Europe are running on empty, the US would be next in this domino effect.
The next version would be IPv6 that offers up to trillions of IP addresses, but the onus would fall back on organizations to make the switch which includes purchasing new network switches and routers. Well, if your organization has not yet done so, perhaps it is time to take stock of the situation and look into the matter more closely.
Filed in .. Source: pcmag