Have some extra IPv4 addresses? Here’s what you should do

Have some extra IPv4 addresses? Here’s what you should do

If you have one or two IPv4 addresses that you are not using, then this blog post is definitely something you need to take the time to read.

These days, businesses are quite reliant on their websites and networks. This is the main way many of them stay afloat because of our internet obsessed society. The way we can all get on the internet in the first place and how our devices can communicate with each other using the internet all is thanks to Internet Protocol version 4. We only really need one IPv4 address that is attached to our router, the router then gives internet access to our devices (phones, laptops, etc), but businesses are a different playground.

They require a substantial amount of IPv4 addresses to function properly. So, when that faithful announcement finally was publicized in 2019 by the RIPE NCC, a lot changed. Businesses and big companies have been trying to buy all the IPv4 they could find. This is why, if you have extra IPv4 addresses, we recommend you sell them. 

The RIPE NCC announcement

In 2019, the RIPE NCC published an announcement stating that all the IPv4 addresses have officially run out. The pool they had full of 4 billion addresses has all run out. The scarcity of the addresses followed by the total depletion of it made the value of a single IPv4 skyrocket into the stratosphere. Year after year after that announcement, the value keeps going higher. Because of this, those needing to buy IPv4 addresses can no longer purchase them in bulk. The next best thing they can do is lease it. 

What you should do

If you and your family have extra routers that you no longer use, you can check to see if those IPv4 addresses are still valid. If so, take advantage of the market right now! Go online to find a licensed IP broker to help you enter the market, you can either sell or lease your IPv4 addresses. The reason you will need to get help from an IP broker is that they know the ins and outs of this transfer market better than you do. And we may not have too into it in this blog post, but the transfer market for IPv4 is not a simple one to navigate. So get all the help you can find.