Where are the RIR Databases, and what do they contain?
There are five RIRs, each maintains a database holding details of IP address registrations in their regions. The RIR databases are located at: • AfriNIC (Africa) • ARIN (North America) • APNIC (Asia Pacific region) • LACNIC (Southern and Central America and Carribean) • RIPE NCC (Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia) For historical reasons, the ARIN Database is generally the starting point for searches. If an address is outside the ARIN region, that database will provide a reference to one of the other databases. Unfortunately, many people misinterpret this referral to mean that either AfriNIC, APNIC, LACNIC, or the RIPE NCC is the network from where the problem arose. In fact, AfriNIC, APNIC, LACNIC, and the RIPE NCC perform the same function as ARIN. To get more specific information you must follow the referral and search the appropriate database.
