Hi!
1. No PI. _Only_ network operators get a prefix.
I am an operator of a network - do I get a prefix ? (we have lots of computers and need lots of IP addresses: currently the 5 PCs, 2 printers, a phone and some PDA and a server online)
I guess you need to define the criteria in some other way. Perhaps beeing registered with the national regulator
I'm looking at all of that and begin to think that all this discussion about PI vs PA (and only [large] operators can get a prefix) is just for implementing some unfair rules in ISP market. Wise customers wants to have PI because of to be multihoming and have stable and really _provider_independent_ (i.e. not depending on upstream's faults) connection. Small operators wants to have PI because of LIR is often too expensive for them. Large operators do NOT want PI because of they can hold a client with their address space ("if you are going to change ISP - you will have a large trouble with renumbering your network and changing domains" or even "if you do not do ... - we will immediately shut down your connection"). Large operators (can pay for LIR) do NOT want PI because of it makes the extra money barrier to be an operator (LIR cost). See more on. Imagine there is no PI. If somebody really-really-really needs to be multihoming - he will be a LIR and do the LIR initial request (/20 PA for IPv4 instead of /24 PI he really need for years). So in this case we do not conserve one row of route table, but slightly loss in conserving space (/20 instead of /24). Even more. Who is making the most noise about no PI? As I can see, large operators. People who have enough powerful routers to not to think about extra routes there. P.S. And please do not compare IP connectivity with global dynamic routing (it is a really BIG achievement of the Internet!) with PSTN and global static routing where switching routes to certain number plan can take several monthes. Of course, in PSTN we can't ever think about hot backup and upstream reservation (multihoming). -- WBR, Max Tulyev (MT6561-RIPE, 2:463/253@FIDO)