IP Block Allocation Policy

1. IP Block Allocation - General Policy
2. Changing Products
3. Additional Addresses
4. Procedure for Allocating IP Blocks
5. Guidance for IP Requirements
6. Non-Valid Requests

1. IP Block Allocation - General Policy

By default all broadband products will be allocated either a single static IP address or a dynamic IP address. The default allocation is as follows:

Current Products
Business/Small Business/Teleworker/SDSL - single static IP
Broadband Your Way - dynamic IP address

Broadband Your Way products can switch between a single static IP address and a dynamic IP address via the portal at any time.

Older Products
Broadband Plus - dynamic IP address
Broadband Premier/Broadband PAYG/ADSL Home/Broadband Home Lite/Home Surf - single static IP
Homeworker/Biz Surf - single static IP
Business No-NAT - multiple IP addresses

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2. Changing Products

Most product changes will mean keeping the same IP address, the following exceptions should be noted:

• Changing from Home Surf to any other product will change the IP address.
• Changing from a residential to business or business to residential will change the IP address.
• Changing from a dynamic IP address to a product that doesn't offer a dynamic IP address (e.g. Broadband Plus to Teleworker) will change the IP to a static IP address.

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3. Additional IP Addresses

Most product types can request an IP address block of 4, 8 or 16 IP addresses by raising a Ticket using the Help Assistant. We do not provide any blocks large than 16. The exceptions to this are:

• Home Surf
• Biz Surf
• Broadband Plus
• All dial-up products. These products cannot have any additional IP addresses.

Additional IP addresses are allocated free of charge subject to justification, all requested are processed via Ticket.

4 IP Block /30
A 4 IP block provides 2 usable IP addresses to the customer (1 for the router and 1 for servers, PC, etc.). The customer therefore needs to justify why they require an additional 1 static IP address.
No RIPE form is required for a 4 IP block and this can be authorised by CSC.

8 IP Block /29
An 8 IP block provides 6 usable IP addresses to the customer (1 for the router and 5 for servers, PC, etc.).
A RIPE form is required and must be attached to the Ticket, this can be created at the Usertools RIPE Form page. An example form is available to show how it is completed. The customer must also justify why they require an 8 IP block rather than a single IP or a 4 block.
An 8 IP block can be authorised by the CSC.

16 IP Block /28
An 16 IP block provides 14 usable IP addresses to the customer (1 for the router and 14 for servers, PC, etc.).
A RIPE form is required and must be attached to the Ticket, this can be created at the Usertools RIPE Form page. An example form is available to show how it is completed.
The customer must also justify why they require an 16 IP block rather than a single IP, 8 block or a 4 block.
A 16 IP block must be authorised by the network services team and entered into the RIPE Map.

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4. Procedure for Allocating IP Blocks

In order to allocate the IP blocks to a customer, the following process should be followed:

• Within the customer's Workplace account add the relevant IP block size.
• Within the account details screen, activate the new IP block component. Copy the IP Address and Subnet Mask address details into your clipboard.
• Unconfigure the old Static IP and destroy it.
• Close the customer Ticket with the following:

Dear Customer, Your new IP block has now been allocated. Your new IP settings will take effect from the next time you connect with your DSL router. You have been assigned the following addresses:
IP Address: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx Subnet Mask: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

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5. Guidance for IP Requirements

Requirements for IP address blocks will vary. An IP block may be required by a user who cannot perform a desired task using NAT / Port Forwarding. Some common examples are provided below, but discretion must be exercised to ensure the correct decision is made:

Valid IP requirements:
Any protocol or service which accepts inbound connections and runs on more than 5 ports, or is needed to be run on more than one machine. E.g:

• Certain online games, (e.g. where the customer wants to play the same online game on more than one PC simultaneously on his connection or where people have, for example, 2 X-boxes that they wish to use simultaneously).
• VPN applications, many of which do not run correctly over NAT or require specialist NAT equipment.
• Hosting of the same service on more than one machine (ie Voice over IP telephone applications or amateur radio applications which accept inbound connections)
• Hardware Firewalls, designed to offer better network security.
• Webservers on multiple platforms.

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6. Non-Valid Requests:

• Hosting of multiple websites from the same webserver - this can be done using virtual hosting. However, if someone wants to host multiple SSL websites then this is a valid reason - as you cannot use virtualhosts with SSL.
• Hosting of different services on different servers, i.e. 1 webserver, 1 FTP server and 1 Linux ssh shell server. Port forwarding would allow users to forward the relevant port on the right machine, all from the same IP.
• Hosting of SMTP email alone.
• In some cases, customers can use non standard ports for their private servers - This is to be encouraged.

Where an IP block request is refused, the agent refusing the request must provide details to the customer as to how their requirements can be met using NAT, providing links to external resources to assist where possible.

Further Documentation and example forms can be found at RIPE.net
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Policy Changes

We will list changes to the policy as they occur, to make it easier for you to see if and how the policy has altered since you last read it.

Date	Change Summary
2nd July 2007	Policy first published