
Ask HN: How am I still able to order new IPv4 addresses despite run out? - paulintrognon
I have heard for years now that IPv4 address exhaustion is a huge problem. Lots of warning have been issued before it did ran out, and now that is has, nothing seems to have changed from a end-user perspective. I just purchased a new server at OVH and it came with an unused IPv4 address. I am still using IPv4 in my everyday website developer life.<p>I know that ISP have pools of unused addresses and that they recycle old ones, but it seems to me that IP demand should be exponential, but yet it looks like they still have plenty.<p>So is this a &quot;Year 2000 problem&quot; type situation, where thanks to warnings, people worked hard to increase somehow IPv4 lifespan so it&#x27;s not really a problem anymore? Or is it still a big upcoming problem, and I won&#x27;t be able to order in the future new servers with new IPv4 addresses like I just did? And when will that situation happen approx.? Thanks
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sovok_x
I believe problems of IPv4 are related more to IoT than end-users currently.
There is not much urgency for humans to switch within ~3.7 billions of IPv4
addresses unless all of humanity will suddenly decide to own a web-site with
unique IP or a dedicated IP from their ISP.

But there is an enormous number of devices being connected. This also brings
the more important aspects of IPv6 to the front: its increased security,
extensibility and performance. IPv4 is very old and wasn't designed for the
modern world, it uses crutches to adapt.

So the answer to your question "when will its lifespan end" depends on how
fast will new IoT-devices saturate the market. It can be a few decades or a
few years, only prophets know. Overall it's not a fast process but it's better
be ready for the transition than not.

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HoppyHaus
We are effectively out of free, _unallocated_ IPv4 addresses. All of them are
owned by a non-regulatory authority. If any of those entities want to sell
some of their IPs, or their block, they are free to do so, and it happens all
the time. But if you wanted to go to ARIN and ask for an IP or a block, you
are out of luck.

