Webhost StratoGen has warned UK Internet Service Providers (ISP) that the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses and the slow "glacial pace" adoption of its replacement ( IPv6 ) is a "disaster waiting to happen", with time fast running out to make the change.

The current generation of IP addresses (IPv4), one of which is invisibly assigned to your computer each time you go online, are predicted to run out in 2011, at which point only new IPv6 addresses will be available.


Robinson warns that a lack of proper IPv6 support inside both old and new devices / networking kit (e.g. mobile phones, broadband routers, modems etc.) and the inability of IPv4 to "directly" communicate with IPv6 could cause serious problems. Current IPV6 usage is apparently also well below 1% of total Internet traffic.

However most ISPs can, and many in the UK already do, solve this by adopting systems that provide support for both addressing schemes. This is not the most efficient solution and an ability to offer native IPv6 is also needed, although few appear to provide that; soon they will have little choice.

We suspect that the exhaustion of IPv6 IPv4 will not be a "disaster" so much as a wake-up call for those who have failed to adapt. At worst we would expect some performance problems for certain connections, although ultimately the internet and devices will have to cater for both methods for some years to come.

The Number Resource Organization (NRO) recently released the results of a new study (here) into global Internet Protocol v6 ( IPv6 ) readiness and found that just 25% of ISPs now offer the service to consumers. In addition, 10% of polled ISPs have no plans to offer IPv6 to consumers or businesses.