FAQs

As with any freely traded commodity, IPv4 pricing is determined by the market forces of supply and demand. While the IPv4 market is not nearly as liquid as the stock market, there are enough buyers and sellers out there that pricing is fairly consistent across the major registries, usually with a variance of only 10-15 percent for blocks of similar size and other characteristics.

Most buyers or sellers only engage in IPv4 transactions once or, perhaps, a handful of times in their lives. Experienced IPv4 brokers, by contrast, should have at minimum hundreds of such transfers under their belts. An experienced and reputable IPv4 broker can help buyers and sellers determine which blocks out on the market are clean and unimpaired, which escrow agents understand the IPv4 transfer process, what protections should be put into an IPv4 sales agreement, and how to navigate the IPv4 transfer rules of the corresponding registry. Even very large, well-staffed companies that have extensive experience with IPv4 transfers generally benefit by using a trusted IPv4 broker.

Almost all IPv4 transactions involve the use of an escrow agent that securely holds the funds from the Buyer while the transfer is underway. Escrow agents that are experienced with IPv4 transactions know how to check the Whois databases of the various registries to validate a transfer is complete and pay the Seller. Likewise, the Buyer’s funds are safe in those rare cases where the IPv4 transfer fails, and those funds can be returned to the Buyer by the escrow agent.

This can vary a great deal depending on how prepared the Buyer and Seller are with the documentation requested by the registry. If all documents are in order, transfers within the RIPE region can take just a few days to a week. In ARIN or APNIC, most transfers happen within one to two weeks. In LACNIC, the time frames are much longer, often taking one to two months, due to more stringent justification requirements and the need to send hard copies of signed transfer agreements from both parties to LACNIC.

In any case, transfers can be delayed if the registry requires proof that the signer on a transfer document is authorized to sign on behalf of the Buyer or Seller, or if the selling entity has gone through a change in corporate structure that must be validated by the registry. Buyers and Sellers should also anticipate that the steps leading up to the actual IPv4 transfer could take longer than the transfer itself. These steps include price and contract negotiation as well as setup with an experienced escrow agent.

The reputation of an IPv4 block is one of the key factors in determining its value and in anticipating any problems a Buyer may have in implementing its use. At IPTrading.com, we check blocks for any potential impairments by scanning for nearly 20 different email blacklists and investigating the block’s routing history. Our experienced staff will advise on which issues are significant and which are easy to rectify.

Email blacklisting can certainly harm the reputation and value of an IPv4 block. Some blacklisted entries, however, can be easily cleaned up, especially if they occurred years in the past and the usage patterns that caused the blacklisting have been rectified. In other cases, the blacklisting may be more serious, and our staff can help you find Buyers that aren’t as concerned about these impairments since it may not affect their intended usage of the block.

That depends. In most registries, you must show you are an “active” entity registered in your legal jurisdiction with your RIR fees paid up to date in order to transfer IPv4 space. If the addresses are still registered to your company, you are up to date on your RIR fees, and you are still legally registered in your state, province or country, you can usually transfer your IPv4 space to a Buyer.

If your company registration has lapsed, in some venues you can reinstate your registration and still sell your IPv4 space.

If your company has been involved in a merger, acquisition or other structural change, it is possible to update this through your RIR and then properly sell the IPv4 space (these policies vary among the RIRs).

In any event, the RIR will require you to affirm there is no dispute as to the status of who is the proper registrant of the addresses. Contact one of our knowledgeable brokers for a confidential review of your specific situation.

Sellers do not need to be concerned about ARIN, APNIC, RIPE or the other registries reclaiming unused IPv4 space. The registries have transfer policies in place to encourage the movement of unused IPv4 space to organizations that need the IPv4 space. In the past, there was often ambiguous language in the policy manuals of the registries implying that organizations that weren’t using their IPv4 space should return it, but as the transfer policies were implemented and fleshed out, most of that confusing language was eliminated. Only in rare cases do registries reclaim IPv4 space, such as when a registrant fails to pay their annual dues or clearly committed fraud to obtain the space.