The last remaining IPv4s (Internet Protocol addresses) were dispersed to the five Regional Internet Registries. This announcement was made by The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) at a ceremony in Miami, Florida on February 3, 2011.
Think of this like Y2K for IP addresses. Now that the original 4 billion IPv4 Internet addresses are dispersed, Internet access providers, network providers, and organizations must make compatibility upgrades to welcome a new IP address format: the IPv6.
Obama administration rejoice. There will be jobs.
The Future With IPv6
According to Olaf Kolkman, Internet Architecture Board Chair, there are roughly two billion people connecting to the Internet using IPv4 Internet addresses, but that falls short of the 6 billion people around the world who want to connect not only computers, but multiple devices. Hooking everyone and all their devices to the Internet is, “not doable,” according to Kolkman.
IPv6 began in 1993 in anticipation of this issue, and has been available since 1999. It adds 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 new addresses, according to the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN). Still, Kolkman believes IPv4 and IPv6 will exist simultaneously for, “a decade or decades,” but to expect IPv6 to make up the majority of the Internet in a decade’s time.
Will This Impact Your Business?
For the majority of Internet users and SEOs, this transition will be seamless. If you run your own servers you may need IPv6 connectivity, software and hardware upgrades and training. Internet access providers, content providers, and equipment vendors, on the other hand, will have to make sure they’re using transition technologies and ensuring equipment is compatible with IPv6, so their customers can access IPv4 and v6 sites.
As a webmaster, get in touch with your access provider/hosting company and find out how soon their web, email, and app servers will be compatible with IPv4 and v6.
The average Internet user won’t notice the transition to and introduction of IPv6. In fact, some devices are already on IPv6 enabled networks.
Mary W. Weldon says
Great information thanks. I did not expect that again i see another good information,many thanks again :)