Topic awaiting preservation: IPv4 addresses exhausted

Hi gang.
After reading an e-mail my sister received from her "computer guy" i've been trying to get some information on IPv4 addresses being exhausted and how this may impact home pc users. I read this article but I'm still unclear on the actual effects this will have on the average user.
Here is a portion of the email my sis received

quote:

---

As you may have read or seen on the news, the internet is 'running out' of

addresses using the original standard known as IPV4. We knew this was going

to happen but not when - in fact the lack of information regards the end of

IPV4 has been as scant as has the effect this colossal change may have on

business and home users alike. The new standard IPV6 will be fully 'switched

over" sometime around September 2011 (if not before) and its effect without

preparation has been touted as being far greater than the Year 2000  'bug'.

Quite simply it has taken many by surprise.  The US government is rushing

through final compliance / compatibility!


Furthermore, with the imminent release of Internet Explorer 9 (not

compatible with Windows XP) and total end of life for Windows XP, it is now

essential to prepare.  Other hardware will also need to be checked for

compliance with the new standard.  We are also noticing more and more

problems with XP and updates.


The impact is that ideally all users on Windows XP need to regrade to

Windows 7 (Professional for business, Home Premium or Professional for home

users).  Business users on SBS 2003 or Server 2003 need to urgently consider

options for migrating to SBS 2008 (Server 2008) or above.


We cannot stress strongly enough that it essential to consider options now

---

The bit about upgrading from XP to win 7 seems a bit OTT to me.
Your thoughts and advice would be most welcome my learned buddies. I'm thinking the email is mostly to generate business rather than to avert potential problems.



(Edited by Tao on 02-12-2011 13:31)

Technicaly accurate but I have heard nothing about the average user needing to do anything to handle the IP4 to IP6 change over in the next couple of years. ISPs and large companies will need to do a lot of work but the home user probaly won't see any changes soon.

While XP is hitting end of life and no longer getting the latest stuff it won't affect my software purchasing until after next year.

__________________________
Eagles get sucked into jet engines and weasels are oft maligned, but beavers just make nice hats.
WCG|FA@H

It actually won't affect home users, Also upgrading will not be necessary for a long time. The only thing affected are official INTERNET addresses. So a company will only have to upgrade their gateway, leaving the internal network as it is. The same is of ISP, usually they have a bunch of official IPs and organize their clients within a own subnet, which is capable of serving more than enough IPs. So as the INTERNET has to change to IPv6 most people on the client side wont notice any difference for a long time.

As for upgrading your OS, that is always a good idea, specially if you are still using XP which is more than outdated.

Thanks guys your comments are appreciated. I'm going to advise sis not to worry or panic buy, but I will suggest an upgrade to win 7 in the not too distant. Ubuntu is a little too challenging for her and the family.

Bah poppycock, my parents have used Ubuntu now for years (60+ and 70+), it's all the same nonsense to them

Heh, I've not heard poppycock for yonks and it is now added to my Android dictionary in writing this. You have adventurous and open-minded parents Blaise, well done and praise to them. I'm working on my extended family to be likewise but they live in Tunbridge Wells hundreds of miles away fro my support, so I'm slower in spreading the love
BTW their their "computer guy" never seems to be able to visit when I am staying with them since I questioned the wisdom of his advice to "just leave the computers on ALL THE TIME" 'cos it's easier that way!
Apparently my face and scouse accent can be a bit intimidating at times.