We're weeks away from IPv4 internet address running out

The American Registry for Internet Numbers has announced that it only has a few IPv4 addresses left.

IPv4-will-be-replaced-wih-IPv6-in-the-near-future-Photo-AFP-shutterstock-com

An IP address is a unique number assigned to every single device that connects to the internet. That includes your computer, your mobile phone, your smartwatch and pretty much anything else that gets your online. Now, the American Registry for Internet Numbers has announced that it only has a few IPv4 addresses left.

On Wednesday July 1, the ARIN - in charge of North America - was forced to turn down a request for a block of IP addresses for the first time in history. The CIO Richard Jimmerson told CBS news 'We are weeks away from having zero left.'

However, this is no real surprise, as the current IPv4 4-digit format was only ever meant to be temporary. When the IPv4 addreses are exhausted, internet users will have to switch to IPv6, which has been in the works since the mid-1990s. Many companies have already set themselves up to make the transition easier.