IP Address Assignment

Contact Information

Washington state follows the policies and guidelines outlined by the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN). ARIN assigns IP address space to the K-20 network based on utilization and need.

Criteria & Requirements

A district must provide the following with every request for a new IP address.

  1. List IP addresses assigned by the K-20 Network, another ISP, or ARIN (or previously from the InterNIC).
  2. List the subnets and nodes on your network. If you have dial-up services, it’s important to list any static IP address assignments you manage — one address per customer.
  3. Describe your network topology and include any limitations or obstacles you face with Variable Length Subnet Masks (VLSM).
  4. Three-month network growth projections.
  5. If you plan to re-number after the new IP address assignment, you must let your RITU staff know. If your district is new to the K-20 network and plans to re-number before connection to the K-20 network, make sure you identify a contact with your current ISP.
    K-20 network staff will ask your ISP contact to:
    • Confirm the current IP address assignment(s).
    • Confirm how long can you use the old numbers).
    • Share any issues related to the publication of the old IP address block during the re-numbering period.
  6. If you operate Network Address Translation (NAT) technology, what percentage of your hosted sites has private addresses? And will this percentage change over time? Be aware that NAT can interfere with current (and future) IP assignments.
  7. Identify a contact for a future Shared Who Is Project (SWIP) of the IP address assignment.
  8. Identify an ARIN handle, if you have it.

IP Address Application Steps

For a New IP address: Make your request 30 days before you plan to launch.

To Add an IP address: Make your request 14 days before you plan to launch.

  1. Submit the request form.
    • School districts — contact your Regional ITU.
    • District ITUs — submit forms to KOCO. Send a copy to your Regional ITU.
  2. Complete the IP Address Assignment form.
  3. KOCO staff review all IP address requests. They check for adherence to the IP assignment criteria developed by ARIN.
  4. KOCO staff respond back to district requestors, by email, with a plan to add the new IP address(es).
  5. District requestor must send back an e-mail accepting the KOCO plan.

KOCO Review

KOCO staff follow these guidelines as they review your IP Address Assignment Request form.

  • Verify customer information
  • Contact the customer or ITU to clarify information or ask about missing details.
  • Check the Internet Routing Registry, Routing Arbiter Database and ARIN database to verify the IP address assignments.
  • Run a ping and traceroute script to confirm the number of live network nodes reported on the form. (These are not reliable tests if district filters block this type of traffic. However, they provide an extra verification and validity check to use with other data.)

KOCO Guidelines
  1. District network must support VLSM, and where necessary, classless routing as a way to optimize IP address space.
  2. All point-to-point connections within a customer network, and within the K-20 backbone, will take up no more than a /30 IP address assignment unless the district provides specific justification.
  3. Size all LANs appropriately. Choose a minimum network mask assignment that will cover the active nodes on day one and support growth projections for three months. District must justify any larger network mask assignments. KOCO will review on a case-by-case basis.
  4. IP address assignments are not portable. If your district discontinues IP data service with the K-20 network, you must:
  • Re-number the addresses of all hosted sites on the K-20 network.
  • Cease all routing announcements for the address block(s).
  • Multi-homed districts, which are connected to ISPs and the K-20 network, are allowed to communicate BGP-4 route(s) to other ISPs over the K-20 network.
  • Return the IP address space to the K-20 network within 60 days of service termination.
  1. KOCO cannot guarantee a contiguous block of IP addresses. Keep in mind that contiguous is not as important as the correct sizing of your IP address assignment.
  2. KOCO staff review all IP address assignments periodically. In the absence of organizational need or if they determine that continued use is not justifiable, they have the authority to invalidate and recall any IP address.