Network Working Group                                          E. Gerich
Request for Comments: 1814                            Merit Network Inc.
Category: Informational                                        June 1995


                      Unique Addresses are Good

Status of this Memo

  This memo provides information for the Internet community.  This memo
  does not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of
  this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

  The IAB suggests that while RFC 1597 establishes reserved IP address
  space for the use of private networks which are isolated and will
  remain isolated from the Internet, any enterprise which anticipates
  external connectivity to the Internet should apply for a globally
  unique address from an Internet registry or service provider.

Introduction

  With the advent of RFC 1466 and RFC 1597 the criteria for the
  allocation of unique IP numbers and the reservation of unique IP
  numbers have been defined. The IAB and the IANA wish to offer
  guidance to the Internet registries as to the application of these
  two documents.  The author submits this document as an informational
  RFC on behalf of the Internet Architecture Board and the IANA.

Guidance to Internet Registries

  RFC 1466 lists the criteria to which Internet registries should
  conform.  One of the criteria is that the Internet registry is
  committed to allocate IP numbers according to the guidelines
  established by the IANA and the IR. Those guidelines (for Classes A,
  B, and C addresses) are documented in RFC 1466.

  Internet Registries have agreed to comply with the guidelines
  established by RFC 1466 and therefore, if an organization meets the
  size requirement for the requested address(es) and submits an
  engineering plan, the organization has fulfilled the necessary
  requirements.  The Internet Registry will make the allocation based
  on the established criteria.







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  The preconditions defined in RFC 1466 are limited to number of hosts
  and subnets as well as an engineering plan.  The existence of private
  address space (RFC 1597) shall not prevent an enterprise from
  obtaining public address space according to the allocation criteria
  (currently, RFC 1466).

  An enterprise may be required by a Internet registry to submit an
  engineering plan documenting a realistic deployment schedule and
  reasonable attention to conservation of address space to support the
  size of the enterprise's request for globally unique IP addresses.

  It is perfectly appropriate for an Internet registry to inform an
  organization of the provisions of RFC 1597.  Any organization
  considering the use of private network numbers should carefully
  consider the potential advantages and possible problems as discussed
  in RFCs 1597 and 1627.

  RFC 1597 establishes reserved IP address space for the use of private
  networks which are isolated and will remain isolated from the
  Internet. Thus RFC 1597 documents a way that private enterprises may
  assure that their networks will remain segregated from the Internet.
  The addresses designated in RFC 1597 should not be routed by the
  Internet.

  Any enterprise with a significantly large number of hosts which might
  require external connectivity to the Internet at the IP layer should
  apply for a block of globally unique addresses from an Internet
  registry.  Enterprises with a small to medium number of hosts that
  require external connectivity to the Internet at the IP layer should
  expect to use globally unique addresses for these hosts, assigned to
  them by their current Internet service provider from its own assigned
  addresses, if it has such addresses to distribute.

  If an enterprise with a small to medium number of hosts desires
  unique IP addresses, and is unable to obtain them under reasonable
  conditions from a service provider, or has no service provider, the
  Internet registries are recommended to assign such addresses without
  conditions with respect to service provider selection.  The
  registries should make clear to the enterprise that when the
  enterprise decides to connect to the Internet, the assigned addresses
  are no guarantee of Internet-wide IP connectivity. In fact, some
  service providers may require renumbering as a condition of
  connectivity.

  Any organization which anticipates having external connectivity is
  encouraged to apply for a globally unique IP address.  Globally
  unique addresses are necessary to differentiate between destinations
  on the Internet.  One must understand, however, that the globally



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  unique address by itself does not necessarily guarantee global
  connectivity.  Individual network service providers may place
  restrictions on what addresses they will or will not route based on
  operational limitations.

References

  [1] Gerich, E., "Guidelines for Management of IP Address Space", RFC
      1466, Merit Network Inc., May 1993.

  [2] Rekhter, Y., Moskowitz, B., Karrenberg, D., and G. de Groot,
      "Address Allocation for Private Internets", RFC 1597, T.J. Watson
      Research Center, IBM Corp., Chrysler Corp., RIPE NCC, RIPE NCC,
      March 1994.

Security Considerations

  Security issues are not discussed in this memo.

Author's Address

  Elise Gerich
  Merit Network Inc.
  4251 Plymouth Road
  Ann Arbor, MI 48105

  Phone: +1 313 764 9430
  Fax: +1 313 747 3745
  EMail: [email protected]






















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