Re: OT: IP address

[flash flash@xxxxxxxx]

> In 98 SE, if I ping my own PC, I get an IP address,
> which I assume is
> mine, no?

Not exactly. Most users have dynamic addresses
(DHCP), "loaned" to them on a "lease."

In contrast, my broadband has always been via a
"fixed" or "static" (unchanging) IP address, because I
insisted on this early-on. Static addresses typically
cost more, and you may be told that this is because
they are a finite resource. I don't know how
literally to take that statement.

You'll have to ask someone more technical to get more
precise about all this, but I think the gist of it is correct.>>

Correct.

IP version 4 is indeed a finite resource. Back in 1972 when the Internet
was invented, there were 6 nodes: USC, Stanford, MIT, and three others I
should remember but don't. PCs in private hands were unknown in 1972
(unless you were prapared to go to Radio Shack, buy the components and
solder them together yourself); there were only a few thousand
mainframes then, world wide. I think the total number of available IPv4
addresses is something like 4 billion. In 1972 that seemed like enough
to last until the second coming. Well, we've got 2007 now, Jesus logged
on and he didn't get an IP address. They are so far depleted already
that most service providers are piggy-backing many web sites onto the
same IP address. That's why most online customers get only leased
addresses from their service providers. Service providers get blocks of
several thousand addresses from ICANN, but have maybe tens of thousands
of customers (including corporate web hosting and your typical
home-surfer). So they over-book and assume (pray) that not all of their
customers will try to go online at once. They're playing a shell game
with their available addresses. Someday it won't work any more.

Fortunately, a solution is at hand. IP version 6 has enough addresses
for every man, woman, child, and coffee pot, several hundred times over.
We won't need temporary DHCP (leased) addresses anymore. Someday, each
child will be assigned an IPv6 address at birth which will follow him
beyond the grave. It will probably replace the social security number as
the person's numerical ID. Once people have permanent IP addresses, the
next step will be mobile surfing; you'll be able to surf from your
iPhone or iNode (or whatever the next generation hand-held is to be
called) while hurtling at supersonic speed through the stratosphere.
This is currently not possible because the IP addresses are leased, and
when you change zones, from one service provider to another--i.e.
somewhere over the Atlantic--your device must release the previous IP
address and request another. This causes TCP sessions (downloads) to
terminate.

Mac OS X and Vista are IPv6 conform; not sure about Linux, but I should
think it must be by now. We're just waiting for the service providers to
take the plunge.