The way the internet handles website domains is going to change, following an update to the core "addressing system".
If we continue with the current way of allocating web addresses, we will run out of available domain names by 2011.
So the internet's master address book is being updated to include records written in a new format, IP version 6, which will help to create millions of new potential web addresses.
The problem occurs because people and the internet use two different methods to call up web pages: we type words into the address bar of our browser, whereas our computers translate that into a string of numbers to find the page that you are looking for. This numerical string is taken from the internet's master address book of domains.
If we continue with the current way of allocating web addresses, we will run out of available domain names by 2011.
So the internet's master address book is being updated to include records written in a new format, IP version 6, which will help to create millions of new potential web addresses.
The problem occurs because people and the internet use two different methods to call up web pages: we type words into the address bar of our browser, whereas our computers translate that into a string of numbers to find the page that you are looking for. This numerical string is taken from the internet's master address book of domains.
Most numerical web addresses are currently written in IP version 4, but from today, the internet's root servers will also be able to handle records written in IP version 6. It means that computers and servers that use IP version 6 will be able to bypass IP version 4 completely when retrieving pages on the net.
Although the impact of this highly technical switch will be felt mainly behind the scenes, there is a possibility that at some point in the future, customers may have to upgrade some of their home computing equipment, such as internet routers, to handle these new long addresses. However, experts stress that such upgrades are a long way off.
News source: Telegraph
Some people here don't even know how DNS works, maybe they'd love to see / learn how it does
Some people here don't even know how DNS works, maybe they'd love to see / learn how it does
It would be a lot more informative to explain how it works rather than over-simplification that avoids key words such as "IP Address" or "DNS". This article should stay at the Telegraph as the Telegraph is not a technology publication.
It beats me how they could have an article about DNS without even using the keyword DNS. You would need to already have an understanding of what DNS is to realise what this article is referring to.
If someone really wanted to learn how DNS worked, they could do far better than an article in the telegraph, especially one that is blatantly wrong.
The internet will not run out of domain names by 2011, it will run out of IPv4 addresses.
a NEW format IPv6 is far form being new, it has been around for long time now, it just wasn't/still isn't needed due to the introduction of NAT
this articel was written by some tool that doesn't even understand DNS and IPv6, especially when you consider most devices support IPv6 already, or with a firmware update, and even windwos XP can handle IPv6
but it's good to know the root DNS servers now support IPv6
also if people here dont understadn DNS, this is not really a good articel to learn it from.....
340,282,366,920,938,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000 addresses
whereas ipv4 has 4,294,967,296
You are aware that each domain doesn't have to have its own IP address (Or one at all, for that matter)?
But the fact is that IP addresses are given out in "blocks" (or better "ranges" ). And you don't want to be continuously buying small blocks because that would be a system administrator's nightmare. So you buy your ranges with enough room for "growth".
Countries and large internationals get appointed large blocks of IPs which they can distribute among their ISPs/companies/departments.
But all this means that there are a LOT of unused IP addresses waiting to be used by their respective ISPs/companies/etc. and the problem is that if Company A is running out of IP addresses it can't use the free IP addresses of Company B, it just doesn't work that way, so the only thing it can do is buy a new "block" of IP addresses.
IPv6 makes sure that there are SO many addresses that even when taking into account that we waste 80% of them we will still have moooooore than enough addresses.
running out of IP adresses yes, domains? no
you really have NO idea!!!! go do some research on what DNS is what domain names are and what IP addresses are
you could say this artical has taught some one some thing they didnt know about before.
I guess you mean IP addresses here, when you refer to 'web addresses' and 'domain names'?
IPv8 address range is less than IPv6
If you look at computers, in the days of Dos, people were typing c:\folder\file.exe but now we just click on a folder, click on a file.
In mac os x, you don't ever need to write an address, you just navigate graphically, and there are no downsides to this.
I'm not sure what the ideal solution would be for the web, because there are so many sites, but the current solution seems dated. They should at least have addresses written as "google" "neowin" etc and then perhaps "neowin news" could be a site - either being interpreted as "neowin.net/news" or perhaps even "neowin_news.net"
Obviously this would be very different to how domains work currently as there would not be country specific extensions. Browsers detect the country of the computer, so there is not much reason for these domains to exist. And google.co.uk is google.com is google.nl in the new version - its just google!
What do you think?
just use bookmarks in your browser and no address writing for the sites you visit the most
Technically how would it work? The first thing that spings to mind would be almost like a keyword thing. E.g Microsoft, Windows, Vista, Xbox, Office are all associated with the real website IP. So if you type in 'Microsoft Windows Vista' it would appear.
Call me cynical, but isn't that Google's "I'm feeling lucky" feature....?! :-)
Your comparision between a command line interface moving to a GUI compared to www.icantuseapc.com moving to "I can't use a pc" is rubbish.
Both command line and GUI are structured file systems. Humans don't think C:UsersSteveDocumentsBusiness CasesDRvirtualisation.docx when you want a file. But you've adapted. You really think it's natural to use a plastic lump called a mouse that moves an arrow in a TV screen to 'double click' a document to read it? You've gotten used to computers - don't kid yourself.
IMHO, there's enough arogant, ignorant moron's that own a computer, without us having to water the net down to appeal to people that find it too much of challange to put www. before typing the name of a companyname or to use Google.
If people can't even be bothered to use a prefix of www. and a suffix of .co.uk or .com etc. then they shouldn't even be allowed within 10ft of a computer.
Keep computers easy, with Vista and OS X like UI's, Spell Checking and plug and play technology - fine - but at least put a sensible suggestion forward rather than this 'idea'.
Quick fireback question - when was the last time you typed in http:// into a browser?!?!?! :-)
P.S. No offence, just having a bad day with some rather ignorant end-users. Nothing the BOFH couldn't fix!!!
Agreed. Never forget how AOL brought millions of monkey-punching, herbal v1agra-buying, free PS3-winning, eCard-sending, joke mail-forwarding, Trojan-clicking idiots to the Internet.
what if you want a site that isnt in YOUR country??
go do some research on how all this stuff works as it is way to much to write in a forum post.. but what your saying just wont work
A domain name is not the same as an address.
The fact that a kludge allows you too achieve your intended effect somehow doesn't make it any less a kludge, no matter how widespread it becomes.
Kludge (whatever it means) is how the whole computer industry works "i486", "RS232", Computer BIOS etc., etc. NAT and IP v4 is here to stay, and it will be considered standard practice for the end networks. Do you really think our smart refrigerators, microwave ovens and heating controllers etc. will all be using IP v6, no chance. NAT every time! Nat is great!
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