@Lila M
"What does that mean for me as a consumer?"
Almost nothing. IPv4 isn't going to stop working, and you'll likely retain your IPv4 address long after we hit the limit.
What it will affect, however, is new machines.
If a business expands, any new machines that need their own IP address will only be getting an IPv6 address.
If you buy a new cell phone with internet access, it will likely get only an IPv6 address.
If you move into a new neighborhood, you will likely get only an IPv6 address.
People who are already on IPv4 will likely retain their IPv4 address, so it won't affect most people.
Windows is already compatible with IPv6 in all major versions, so it won't be an issue for most people.
The one edge case that may affect Windows applications is when you're using only IPv6 and you try and use a legacy application that only uses IPv4 addresses. However, even then address translation can be used to provide dummy IPv4 addresses to applications that can't use IPv6.
So from the point of view of the consumer, almost nothing is going to happen. Pretty much everything is happening under the hood, so to speak.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
ZDNet Newsletters
Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox
