What is a RIR?
A RIR is a regional internet registry that allocates IP addresses and ASNs within its region. Learn about the five RIRs, IANA's role and how delegation works.
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A RIR (Regional Internet Registry) is the organization that manages and allocates internet number resources. These are IPv4 and IPv6 addresses and Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs), across one clearly defined region of the world. There are five RIRs, and together they cover the entire globe. It is from the relevant RIR that a network operator obtains its own block of addresses and the ASN it needs to run BGP routing.
The five regional registries
The RIR system was created to decentralize the management of addressing and bring it closer to local operator communities. Each region has its own registry, its own policy developed bottom-up by its members, and its own whois database. The five registries are:
- RIPE NCC: Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia, based in Amsterdam.
- ARIN: North America and part of the Caribbean.
- APNIC: the Asia Pacific region.
- LACNIC: Latin America and the Caribbean.
- AFRINIC: the African continent.
IANA's role and the delegation hierarchy
Number resources are managed hierarchically. At the top sits IANA (the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority), a function performed by PTI under ICANN, which maintains the global pools of IP addresses and ASNs. IANA delegates large blocks of these resources to the individual RIRs. The RIRs in turn divide them among their members, most often Local Internet Registries (LIRs) such as ISPs and hosting providers, which then assign addresses to end users. The IANA IPv4 free pool was exhausted in 2011, so new IPv4 today comes mostly from recovery and transfers, while IPv6 is allocated freely.
Why an operator needs a RIR
To run an independent network with its own routing policy, an operator needs resources that originate from a RIR: a provider independent (PI) or provider aggregatable (PA) block of addresses, plus an ASN. The registry also runs the public whois database and a routing registry (IRR) where prefix-to-ASN relationships are recorded, as well as RPKI infrastructure that lets you cryptographically authorize prefix announcements (ROA objects). Without entries in these databases, an operator's routes are increasingly likely to be rejected by other networks today.
RIRs and AS202520 SkyPass
AS202520 SkyPass operates in the region served by RIPE NCC, the source of our ASNs and address pools. This lets us offer customers IP transit, BGP peering and addressing that is ready to route correctly across the global internet. We also help operators get their RIPE data in order (route objects, IRR records and RPKI ROAs), so that the prefixes announced by our network and by our customers at the Polish IXPs (THINX, TPIX, WRIX, 1-IX) are accepted without trouble.
Frequently asked questions
How many regional internet registries are there?
Five: RIPE NCC, ARIN, APNIC, LACNIC and AFRINIC. Each serves a different region of the world and together they cover the entire globe.
Which RIR covers Poland?
Poland is in the RIPE NCC region, which spans Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia. Polish operators obtain IP addresses and ASNs from RIPE NCC.
What is the difference between a RIR and a LIR?
A RIR is a regional registry managing the resource pool for a whole region. A LIR (Local Internet Registry) is a member of a RIR, usually an operator or hosting provider, that draws resources from the RIR and assigns them onward to its own customers.
How do you get IP addresses or an ASN from a RIR?
Usually by becoming a member (LIR) of the relevant RIR or through a sponsoring LIR. RIPE NCC then assigns the ASN and an address block in line with the applicable policy.