Internet Addresses, Part 2

Sometime in the near future, we're going to run out of possible Internet IP addresses (the 4 sets of numbers that provides the "real" Internet address for all websites). The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has a contingency plan to convert to a new system that will have exponentially more possibilities. And there's a bonus, the new system, IPv6, is a 132-bit system with extra levels of security built in.

What does this mean to the average internet user? Is this another Y2K thing? Most users won't need to do anything. Most equipment purchased in the last 6-7 years (a lifetime in the digital age) is IPv6 ready. Also, administrators of Internet protocols have seen this one coming and have built in transitional features that will allow IPv4 and IPv6 to coexist. IT professionals for most corporations and organizations presumably are already working on ensuring that equipment can handle IPv6 and that their ISP's servers are also equipped. Information for us non-technical types can be found here <http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5280376.html> .