As unique identifiers of entities that control IP ranges, autonomous system numbers (ASNs) provide valuable data. Understanding ASN distribution and deriving insights from it can significantly enhance strategic business and market analyses.

With this perspective in mind, the WhoisXML API research team analyzed a substantial dataset of ASN and ISP data points to answer questions, such as:

• What top autonomous systems (ASs) control the IPv4 and IPv6 networks?
• What ASs have the highest number of IP addresses?
• What are the ASs’ ISP and geolocation distribution?
• Where are the IP addresses with the highest number of DNS resolutions geolocated?

Download the white paper now to explore our insights into the entities controlling IP networks.

Methodology

To uncover the most prevalent ASNs, ISPs, and their geolocations, we analyzed a dataset of 87,415 unique ASNs extracted from our IP Netblocks Database file dated 6 August 2024. By sampling one IP address from each ASN and conducting a bulk IP geolocation lookup, we gained insights into the geographic distribution of these networks.

We then ranked the ASNs based on their number of IPv4 and IPv6 ranges and the total number of IP addresses they encompassed to identify the ASNs associated with the largest IP networks. Additionally, we delved into the Premium DNS Database Download A file dated 7 August 2024 to analyze the top 100 IP addresses with the highest number of DNS resolutions to determine their associated ASNs, geographic locations, and ISPs.

Overall Findings

Our study leveraging extensive IP intelligence led us to:

• The ISP and geolocation distribution of all the ASNs in the dataset
• The top 20 ASNs with the highest number of registered IPv4 and IPv6 ranges
• The top 20 ASNs with the highest number of registered IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
• The ASNs, ISPs, and geolocations of the top 100 resolving IP addresses

A Closer Look at ASNs 16509 and 6939

When we analyzed the ASNs of the top 100 resolving IP addresses, two ASNs stood out, as they also had some of the highest numbers of registered IPv6 and IPv4 addresses, respectively.

Specifically, ASN 6939 (Hurricane Electric LLC) was associated with more than 5.2 octillion registered IPv6 addresses, while ASN 16509 (Amazon.com, Inc.) had more than 48.5 million registered IPv4 addresses.

Our research uncovered insights into the IP ownership, network distribution, and connections between registered IP addresses and their actual IP resolutions. Our findings highlighted the dominance of certain players in the IP address space and provided valuable information on the ISP and ASN market shares for both registered and resolving IP addresses.

Want to know more about the top players in the IP network space? Download our complete white paper “Decoding ASN and ISP Data for In-Depth Business Insights” now.