IPv4 Address space FAQs

For IPv6 address space FAQs please see IPv6 FAQs.

1. How can I get IP addresses?
2. What is a Local Internet Registry (LIR)?
3. Who can become a Local Internet Registry (LIR)/RIPE NCC member?
4. Can non-RIPE NCC members receive IP addresses from the RIPE NCC?
5. Can I buy IP addresses from the RIPE NCC?
6. How much does the RIPE NCC charge to assign/allocate IP addresses?
7. How long can I continue to use the IP addresses that the RIPE NCC assigns/allocates to me?
8. What is the difference between an IP address assignment and an IP address allocation?
9. I am already a RIPE NCC member. Where can I find the forms to request IP addresses?
10. Where can I find out information about Internet number resource allocation and assignment policies?
11. I don't need a lot of IP addresses. Should I get IP addresses from my ISP rather than the RIPE NCC?
12. Can I obtain a class C address block?
13. Can the RIPE NCC recommend an ISP who can give me IP addresses?
14. I would like to change Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Can I take the IP addresses I currently use to my new ISP?

1. How can I get IP addresses?

You can either:

• Become a Local Internet Registry (LIR)/member of the RIPE NCC
• Acquire address space from an upstream provider
• Ask you local Internet Services Provider (ISP)

If you do not need a routable block, you should first try to acquire address space from an upstream provider. Or, if you need a small amount of IP addresses, you can ask your local Internet Services Provider (ISP).

For IPv6 address space FAQs please see IPv6 FAQs.

2. What is a Local Internet Registry (LIR)?

"Local Internet Registry" (LIR) is the term used to describe RIPE NCC members. LIRs are responsible for the distribution and registration of address space at a local level. LIRs ensure that Internet number resource allocation policies and procedures that are proposed, discussed and accepted by the RIPE community are followed on a local level. The majority of RIPE NCC members are:

• Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that need to assign and allocate address space to their own customers
• Telecommunication organisations/academic institutions that require large blocks of address space for their own networks

3. Who can become a Local Internet Registry (LIR)/RIPE NCC member?

Any organisation with a legally established office in the RIPE NCC service region can become a member of the RIPE NCC.

4. Can non-RIPE NCC members receive IP addresses from the RIPE NCC?

No. IP addresses can only be given to RIPE NCC members.

5. Can I buy IP addresses from the RIPE NCC?

No. Internet number resources (IPv4, IPv6 and Autonomous System (AS) Numbers) are a shared public resource and do not have a value. Members are charged fees based on the services that they receives from the RIPE NCC. Check the RIPE NCC service fees.

6. How much does the RIPE NCC charge to assign/allocate IP addresses?

The RIPE NCC charges an annual service fee based on the services that a member receives from the RIPE NCC. The annual service fee charged to each member is related to the workload involved in providing the services requested. Information about service fees can be found at: http://www.ripe.net/ripe/docs/charging.html

7. How long can I continue to use the IP addresses that the RIPE NCC assigns/allocates to me?

You have the right to continue to use Internet number resources obtained from the RIPE NCC as long as they are being used in accordance with the allocation and assignment policies that are set by the RIPE community and as long as your RIPE NCC membership is current

8. What is the difference between an IP address assignment and an IP address allocation?

An allocation is the block of IP addresses that is reserved by the RIPE NCC for your use now and in the future. An assignment is a block of IP addresses from your allocation that is used on an active network.

9. I am already a RIPE NCC member. Where can I find the forms to request IP addresses?

All request forms can be found in the LIR Portal or in the RIPE Document Store.

10. Where can I find out information about Internet number resource allocation and assignment policies?

Assignment and allocation policies made by the RIPE community can be found in the RIPE Document Store

11. I don't need a lot of IP addresses. Should I get IP addresses from my ISP rather than the RIPE NCC?

Yes. The RIPE NCC cannot guarantee that any address space it allocates will be globally routable. This is because the filtering policies implemented by transit providers around the world are beyond the RIPE NCC's control. The best way to avoid filtering problems is to ensure that your network is numbered into the address range of a larger network (such as your upstream ISP), so that many addresses can be aggregated and announced globally as a single route. The shorter prefix of such a global route will increase its chances of being unaffected by the filtering policies of large transit providers.

It is also in the interests of the Internet community as a whole that the number of separate routes injected into the global routing tables is kept to a minimum. Encouraging organisations to obtain address space from upstream ISPs wherever possible is important to achieving this aim.

12. Can I obtain a class C address block?

No. Classful addressing (class A, class B, class C, etc) is redundant. The original model for distributing IP addresses, based on classful addressing strategies, did not take into account the massive expansion of Internet use and was unable to scale to meet this expansion. Classless Inter Domain Routing (CIDR) is one of the fundamental requirements for eligibility to receive IP address ranges. Address space is referred to by prefix length (or subnet mask). For example, /24 ("slash 24") refers to 256 IP addresses, or the equivalent of a former class C. A /19 refers to 8,192 IP addresses, or the equivalent of 32 former class Cs.

13. Can the RIPE NCC recommend an ISP who can give me IP addresses?

No. Because the RIPE NCC is a neutral and impartial organisation, it cannot recommend an ISP for you. Although you can check the list of RIPE NCC members to find an ISP, the RIPE NCC does not endorse or make any recommendations about the suitability or types of services offered by any of its members.

14. I would like to change Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Can I take the IP addresses I currently use to my new ISP?

It depends on what kind of address space you have and what you are using the addresses for:

• If you are an End User with Provider Aggregatable (PA) address space assigned to you by an upstream provider and you change to a new provider, you must return the addresses to the provider that assigned it to you.
• If you have Provider Independent (PI) address space, it remains assigned to its End User as long as the criteria for the original assignment are met. So, if you change ISPs, there's no need to return it.