American Registry for Internet Numbers Hear it!

American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) Hacker Definition
A nonprofit organization established to administer and register Internet Protocol (IP) numbers for North America and parts of the Caribbean. ARIN is but one of the five Regional Internet Registries collectively providing IP registrations services globally. ARIN, it should be noted, is not an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

The mission statement of ARIN includes applying the principles of stewardship, allocating Internet Protocol resources, developing consensus-based policies, and facilitating the healthy advancement of the Internet through positive information and education.

ARIN started administering IP networks (routes) in 1997. Networks allocated before 1997 were recorded in the ARIN whois database. ARIN allows the owners of those networks to maintain them free of charge. Networks allocated after 1997 are also recorded in the ARIN whois database, but the owners of those networks are charged a yearly maintenance fee by ARIN. Also, when ARIN allocates a new network, the owner of the new network is charged an annual fee. When an existing network is transferred to a new owner, the new owner is charged the yearly fee whether or not the previous owner was charged a fee.

See Also: AfriNIC; APNIC; Internet Protocol (IP); Internet Service Provider (ISP); LACNIC; Network; RIPE NCC.

American Registry for Internet Numbers. About ARIN. [Online, 2004.] American Registry for Internet Numbers Website. http://www.arin.net/about_us/index.html. Siemsen, P. Procedures for Routing Registries and the ARIN Whois database. [Online, August 27, 2002.] UCAR Website. http://www.scd.ucar.edu/nets/docs/procs/routing-registries/#intro.
American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) Telecom Definition
See ARIN.