Regional Internet Registries (RIR)
As of the time this tutorial was last updated, there are five regional registries. None sell IP addresses as they are a 'free public resource'. However, all five registries charge an annual membership fee and possibly other fees to obtain IP addresses from them.
| RIR | Region(s) Served | Min.CIDR | ||
| AFRINIC | Africa | /24 | ||
| APNIC | Asia, Pacific | |||
| ARIN | North and South America | /22 | ||
| RIPE | Europe, Middle East, Central Asia | /22 | ||
| LACNIC | Latin America |
Why Obtain IP's from an RIR?
Addresses obtained from an RIR are portable. Because they are allocated to you, you can use them with any ISP you currently use. If you obtain IP addresses from your ISP or a Local Internet Registrar (LIR), you must return the IP addresses when you change your Internet Service Provider or telecomunications carrier.
