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How to lease an IP Address. What are the processes for leasing IPv4?

• Posted at 2019-09-21 06:05:31
• By Prefixx Team

Entice and excite customers with new avatars such as AI, IoT and machine learning, that is what the Internet of today is. IP addresses are the unique identifiers for each device in this vast network.

A dedicated IP improves security and helps you to gain customer confidence. The exponential growth of the Internet makes the fight for the IP address quite aggressive. Even with a highly depleted IPv4 address space, the transition to IPv6 is moving at a snail's pace owing to the requirement of massive upfront investment for network devices.

 It creates a widening gap of demand versus supply for IPv4 addresses. Scarcity creates demand, and it makes IPv4 addresses an expensive commodity.

The cost of ownership for an IPv4 address makes leasing a better option to fulfill your dedicated IP requirements at a reduced price.

What makes leasing attractive?

The foremost advantage is the cost. You can own an IP address for a specified period without any substantial expense.

Regional Internet Registries (RIR) manage the IPv4 allocations. Due to the severe scarcity, while purchasing, one needs to provide a convincing justification for his IP requirement and is a tricky process.  Transfer of ownership, especially between RIRs, is a time-consuming process as well.

Since leasing doesn't require any ownership change, you can avoid all these steps. It makes leasing a much faster and efficient way for IP allocation. 

You can define your leasing period, it could be months or extend up to several years, and it makes the entire process highly cost-efficient.

The onus of setting up the network to route traffic through the leased IP is often with the ISP. This disengages you from the worries of network management.

How to lease an IP address?

You might be wondering, if the entire IPv4 address space is exhausted, from where one can find an IP address for lease?

IPv4 addresses are not compatible with IPv6 devices. If an organization has switched to native IPv6, its IPv4 addresses might be left unused. There are also lots of so called “legacy space” addresses out there which the RIRs are slowly working on recovering.

The different RIRs operate in different regions, with different regulations, in different languages and currencies. It can make the process of a leasing agreement (ie. membership) a tedious and complicated process.

Since the market for leasing of IPv4 space outside of the RIRs has not matured yet, some ambiguity prevails in all spheres of its activity.

Third-party providers, commonly known as IPv4 brokers, act as a bridge between the seller and buyer to ensure a hassle-free execution of the entire process. The brokers are the ones who keep the show going.

The steps to lease an IP address are

1. Choose the right IP broker.

The broker is your best buddy to make leasing possible by channeling their contacts in the different regions. The broker should be transparent in its terms such as service fee and should have ample experience in carrying out IPv4 transactions across the different regions.

Prefixx.net has a long legacy in performing all sorts of IPv4 transactions, including leasing. Our industry-wide recognition and vast experience help us to make the leasing of IPv4 addresses a fair and straightforward process.

Prefixx.net, with its ample exposure, carry out the entire spectrum of IPv4 leasing processes such as price negotiation, IP reputation evaluation, and establishment of the lease agreement with punctuality and professionalism.

2. Prequalification checks

We ensure that the seller is the current owner or the legal successor by verification several documents such as the RIR registration records.

Our detailed checks about the IP or IP block, including its usage, reputation and inaccuracies in the RIR records helps you avoid any future complications.

3. Setting up the terms of the lease agreement

After the prequalification checks, we carry out the negotiation with the seller with a clear emphasis on the price, lease duration, time, currency, and abiding laws to create the leasing agreement.

4. Payment Facilitation

We create the invoices and provide an interface for the smooth transfer of funds between the parties.

5. Issue of LOA

Once the payment is received, the seller will provide a Letter of Authorization (LOA) so that you can instruct your ISP to announce the new IP block and divert traffic through it.

 Renting an IPv4 address is a practical way to meet your requirements for a dedicated IP address. But the efficiency of the broker defines the texture of the entire process.

Prefixx.net has proven expertise in all areas of IP leasing and is a trusted IP broker across different RIRs. We ensure you a hassle-free, transparent and cost-effective IPv4 rental and help you to be at ease through high-quality customer support.