On Monday, June 01, 1998 4:18 AM, James Rishaw[SMTP:jamie@dilbert.ais.net] wrote: @If you're trying to infer that SPIN = IP addresses, you're way wrong. @ 1. No, I was not trying to infer that. 2. There is more to life than configuring routers. 3. I often wonder if people that configure routers know how routing *should* work. Do people that drive cars know how cars work ? Do they care ? Here is some more information for people interested in the more global issues of numbering, and network operations. The U.S. Government provides ISPs with SPIN numbers, FREE of charge. Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) ARIN sells 16 bit ASNs for $500. <http://www.arin.net> The IEEE provides 24 bit Organizationally Unique Identifiers (OUI). <http://standards.ieee.org/db/oui/> The cost of the OUI is U.S. $1,250. Maybe we should create a Top Level Domain named .SPIN. That TLD could be used to register the free SPIN numbers at the second level. For example, Bell Atlantic might have 143001398.SPIN for Pennsylvania. A TXT Record could be included in the DNS to contain the name "Pennsylvania" for the SPIN number. After registering a SPIN number, an ISP could add A records for their ASNs and OUI information. Since an A record is a general purpose container for 32 bit quantities, a single A record can be used to hold an ASN in the low 16 bits. Another A record can hold the 24 bit OUI in the low 24 bits. With this, the following DNS entries would return A records: ASN.143001398.SPIN OUI.143001398.SPIN As an alternative to the above, ARIN could negotiate with the IEEE to obtain a unique 8 bit pre-fix for a block of OUI codes. This would allow the 16 bit ASN to be combined with that prefix to complete the unique 24 bit "company id" that is used in many IEEE standards. This would allow ARIN to provide OUI numbers for $500 which is less than the IEEE charge of $1,250. Still another approach would be for ARIN to negotiate with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to obtain a block of SPIN numbers. Since ASNs are 16 bits, the largest value is 65535. Maybe USAC can assign a SPIN prefix such as 1431xxxxx and all ASNs could be mapped to SPIN numbers. This would effectively allow ARIN to create SPIN numbers for $500 each. @@@@@ Other References @@@@@@ @@@ http://www.neca.org/usnewrel.htm Whippany, NJ -- May 21, 1998 - The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is pleased to announce the appointment of former Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Cheryl L. Parrino as USAC's first Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective June 1, 1998." @@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@ http://www.bell-atl.com/edk-12/spincode.htm Bell Atlantic Service Provider Identification Numbers (SPIN) 143001398 143002680 143001362 143001422 143001401 143001432 143002681 143012559 143001291 143001288 143001303 143002682 143001314 143001359 143004468 143004333 143000677 @@@@@@@@@@ @@@@ http://www.neca.org/funds/usacspin.htm "For companies which have not filed a FCC Form 457, you may contact USAC at (888) 641-8722 to obtain a SPIN assignment. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@ http://standards.ieee.org/faqs/OUI.html What is an Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI)/"company_id"? An OUI/"company_id" is a 24 bit globally unique assigned number referenced by various standards. OUI is used in the family of 802 LAN standards, e.g., Ethernet, Token Ring, etc. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@ http://standards.ieee.org/db/oui/tutorials/lanman.html Use of the IEEE assigned Organizationally Unique Identifier with ANSI/IEEE Std 802-1990 Local and Metropolitan Area Networks @@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@ http://standards.ieee.org/db/oui/tutorials/cdpd.html Cellular Digital Packet Data Networks The EUI-48 consists of the 24 bit company_id (assigned by the IEEE/RAC) and a 24 bit unique CDPD M-ES number (assigned by the manufacturer). @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@ http://standards.ieee.org/db/oui/tutorials/futurebus.html Use of the IEEE assigned 'company_id' value with IEEE Std 896.2-1991 Futurebus+ Physical Layer and Profiles @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@ http://standards.ieee.org/db/oui/tutorials/EUI64.html GUIDELINES FOR 64-BIT GLOBAL IDENTIFIER (EUI-64) REGISTRATION AUTHORITY @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Jim Fleming Unir Corporation - An H.323 GateKeeper for the IPv8 Network http://www.unir.net 0:196 .MALL