Buying IPv4 addresses can be very simple if you are familiar with the ARIN IPv4 transfer process. ARIN stands for the American Registry for Internet Numbers, which is the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for the US, Canada, as well as North Atlantic and Caribbean regions. You just need to understand the requirements and procedures before you set out to buy IPv4 address blocks for your network. Below is a quick look at how the ARIN IPv4 address transfer process works.
ARIN IPv4 Transfer Process
You will need to apply for an ORG-ID and register an account with ARIN to start. ARIN may ask you for a certificate of conduct to ensure that you are in good standing and eligible to buy IPv4 address blocks. After the registration formalities, you will need to apply for pre-approval. This will allow ARIN to assess if your company actually needs additional IPv4 addresses and will not hoard the asset for later use.
ARIN will only approve the transaction if it finds that you will use at least half of the IPv4 addresses that you have requested within 2 years. You may also need to show that you are using around 75% of the IPv4 address blocks in the network currently. Then ARIN will ask you to sign an Officer Attestation letter to proceed with the pre-approval. Generally, the pre-approval process can take from 4 to 14 days, and is deemed valid for 1 year from the date of approval.
[caption id="attachment_3777" align="alignright" width="300"]
IPv4 Transfer Process[/caption]
After the pre-approval, you can create an agreement to buy IPv4 address blocks from the IPv4 transfer market. You will be required to provide the legal name of your company, your ORG-ID, ARIN pre-approval ticket number, as well as details of the designated person who is trading IPv4 addresses on behalf of the company. The agreement may also include the payment terms for better clarity.
When the seller submits the IPv4 transfer ticket with your ORG-ID and the IPv4 address block number to be transferred, the ARIN will start the transfer process. You will also be required to submit the IPv4 transfer ticket with the seller’s details and the IPv4 address blocks to be transferred by ARIN. The seller will also need to pay an IPv4 transfer fee; this is not applicable for IPv4 address blocks that are in Legacy and were assigned before 1998.
ARIN will review all the details of the IPv4 transfer and take around 5 to 10 days to approve the transfer. The seller will have to sign, notarize, and submit an ARIN Officer Acknowledgment Form in the meantime. After both your and the seller’s IPv4 transfer tickets are approved, you will need to pay an ARIN fee to complete the process. You may also need to sign a Registered Services Agreement (RSA) within 90 days.