Running out of room at the Internet cafe

by Laura Haessler

Imagine you were asked to arrange a dinner party for all 6.8 billion people in the world sitting down together at one ginormous table. You will also be required to provide a single, common language that would be spoken, written and understood by everyone in attendance.  Of course, aside from being an incredibly large gathering, the very thought of achieving a unanimous consensus on one means of communication between such diverse cultures and opinions would be mind-boggling, right?  Now, imagine that you were only given 4.2 billion chairs. “What?!”  you say, “Where will everyone sit?”  This is essentially what has happened with the proliferation of the Internet across the globe: everyone speaking one language without enough room to allow everyone (and everything) equal access. 

Mind your manners, err... protocols.

One of the most remarkable things about the Internet is that it is governed by a standard set of rules, commonly known as an Internet protocol (IP), which are consistently applied across the globe regardless of boundaries both physical and philosophical. These protocols make it possible for computers communication across networks of cables, routers, fiber lines, and satellite and wireless radio frequencies. If there were no protocols, then there would be no guarantee that the information sent from one computer could be understood by another, or that it would even reach the right destination. 

You can’t, but ICANN.

One of these protocols, the Domain Name System (DNS), is managed by a department of ICANN, the Internet Corporation forAssigned Names and Numbers. ICANN assigns a unique address for every computer and device connected to the Internet. Each IP address is like having a seat at your imaginary dinner table. 

Unexpected guests.

When the DNS protocol was created in the 1980s, it was thought that the more than 4.2 billion unique addresses possible under what is known as the Ipv4 system would be more than enough. However, the creators didn’t foresee the Internet boom or the possibility that one day we would be connecting not just multiple computers per person, but printers, phones, and even household appliances to the Internet.  In February 2011, ICANN announced that it had allocated the last batch of remaining IPv4 addresses.

Quick! Get a bigger table.

The solution to the problem has been around for a while: IPv6. The new version of the Internet Protocol supports a whopping 340 undecillion (2 to the 128th power) addresses. But IPv6 deployment is not an easy task; working with it requires learning a whole new IP language. IPv6 is also much more sophisticated than IPv4, with many new features (including built-in security mechanisms). Most important, IPv6 does not inter-operate with IPv4, so transition technologies are required to get IPv4 networks to communicate with IPv6 networks.

Don’t make dinner, make reservations!

Obviously, now that we’ve reached the end of the available IPv4 addresses, more and more of us will be forced to migrate to IPv6. Understanding the need will be important but making the adjustments necessary will fall on the shoulders of your Internet Service Provider (ISP).  For most average home users, you may only be required to swap out your Internet router. Thank goodness for take out!