Residential Broadband, Second Edition

Addressing Issues

The scale of RBB creates a major problem with address proliferation. In fact, each residence—and each device in the residence—must be identified uniquely. This requires the management of large address spaces. How are customers to be addressed in a systematic manner, and how are addresses to be supplied to the residence and made known to the rest of the world?

In the case of the telephone network and postal services, addresses are supplied by the carrier. You get your phone number from the phone company and your zip code from the U.S. Postal Service. The addressing plans provided by these service providers assist them in routing traffic to the residence. The address is more than just an identifier; it is also an aid to networking. ...