RE: Google wants to be your Internet

[<michael.dillon () bt com>]

> We also see this with extranet/supply-chain-type connectivity 
> between large companies who have overlapping address space, 
> and I'm afraid it's only going to become more common as more 
> of these types of relationships are established.

Fortunately, IP addresses are not intended for use on the
Internet. Rather, they are intended for use with Internet
Protocol (IP) implementations. That's why the RIRs, in 
alignment with RFC 2050, section 3(a), do give out IP address
allocations to organizations who are connected to extranet-type
networks. If you read RFC 1918, section 2, category 3, you will
see that this is consistent.

So if the power companies want to assign a unique network
address to all power meters then there is no good reason
to stop them. After all, it is consistent with the goals
of the original IP designers to address every light switch
and toaster.

Just remember, IP addresses are *NOT* Internet addresses.
They are Internet Protocol addresses. Connection to the 
Internet and public announcement of prefixes are totally
irrelevant.

--Michael Dillon