IPv6 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) [Archived]
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Here in the Vault, information is published in its final form and then not changed or updated. As a result, some content, specifically links to other pages and other references, may be out-of-date or no longer available.
Why did the ARIN Board make this resolution now?
The global IPv4 address space pool will eventually be depleted to a level that prevents ARIN from allocating certain sizes of address blocks. ARIN is taking a proactive approach to this inevitability by educating the community about the need to transition to IPv6 for those applications that require ongoing availability of contiguous IP number resources from ARIN.
Will ARIN continue to issue IPv4 address space as normal? Will I still be able to get IPv4?
Yes. For as long as ARIN has IPv4 address space to distribute, ARIN will continue to issue it according to the policies in the Number Resource Policy Manual (NRPM) found at https://www.arin.net/policy/nrpm.html. ARIN will change its distribution practices only when policies are created or revised via the existing Policy Development Process (PDP) found at https://www.arin.net/policy/pdp.html.
Will ARIN change IPv4 and/or IPv6 policies?
ARIN staff does not change or create policy; ARIN merely implements policies passed by the Internet community using PDP. Community members may submit policy proposals to change current resource distribution policies as IPv4 exhaustion approaches. ARIN will continue implementing and following any new policies as recorded in the Number Resource Policy Manual.
Does this resolution change the Policy Development Process?
No. PDP will remain an open and transparent process in which the community decides how ARIN will manage and administer Internet number resources. The ARIN Advisory Council will continue to work with the community to form policies and will pay close attention to any policy changes that may become necessary as the available pool of IPv4 address space diminishes.
I thought ARIN was technology agnostic. Does this resolution change ARIN’s position?
Not really. ARIN will continue to allocate both IPv4 and IPv6 address space in accordance with the Number Resource Policy Manual. As the available pool of IPv4 address space diminishes and ARIN loses its ability to allocate contiguous blocks of IPv4 address space, the community may change ARIN’s distribution policies. Therefore, the Board of Trustees feels it must proactively raise awareness throughout the community of the IPv4 depletion issue and has stated that migration to IPv6 number resources is necessary for any applications that require ongoing availability from ARIN of contiguous IP number resources.
What does “ensuring veracity” mean?
ARIN staff will continue to be diligent in evaluating all resource requests and associated information to prevent registration fraud and verify the accuracy of all information provided.
Will this slow the request process?
Maybe. ARIN may have to increase its audit activity to ensure the accuracy and legitimacy of information provided during the request process. This may increase the amount of time it takes ARIN to process some requests.
Can ARIN force me to transition to IPv6?
No. ARIN cannot force anyone to transition to IPv6. However, as the global IPv4 address pool diminishes, ARIN will lose its ability to allocate contiguous blocks of IPv4 address space. In the coming years, organizations that require larger contiguous blocks of IP address space will only be able to receive it from the IPv6 address space.
OUT OF DATE?
Here in the Vault, information is published in its final form and then not changed or updated. As a result, some content, specifically links to other pages and other references, may be out-of-date or no longer available.