Case Study: How Sanford Health Expanded Its IPv4 Capacity to Support a Growing Healthcare Network

Overview

Sanford Health is one of the largest healthcare systems in the Upper Midwest, headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. As Sanford’s internal networks grew to support more facilities, devices, and interconnected communication systems, their existing IPv4 space became insufficient for current and future needs. Sanford partnered with IPTrading to acquire additional IPv4 address space that would allow them to scale their infrastructure responsibly, securely, and in full ARIN compliance. Over the course of two years, IPTrading facilitated three IPv4 block acquisitions, enabling Sanford to expand capacity without disruption.

Client Background

Sanford Health operates a large, multi-state hospital and clinic network, supporting healthcare delivery, internal communications, and networked systems across a wide geographic region. Their rapid expansion and the increased reliance on internal connectivity and digital systems created a natural need for more IPv4 space.

Sanford already held a small direct allocation from ARIN, but as their infrastructure and systems grew, the existing block was not enough to support continued internal operational expansion. This led Sanford to seek additional IPv4 assignments to meet network growth requirements and maintain stable and reliable connectivity across their internal environment.

The Challenge

Sanford Health needed additional IPv4 space to support internal systems and communications, but ARIN justification was still required. Their objectives included:

• Ensuring consistent and reliable IP space availability for internal growth.
• Maintaining secure and stable internal communications across multiple states.
• Securing new IPv4 blocks proactively rather than reacting to a future shortage.

Unlike many organizations in high-growth phases, Sanford did not wait until they were out of address space. They planned ahead, which meant the work could be done carefully, correctly, and without operational pressure.

The Solution

IPTrading first supported Sanford Health in November 2020, facilitating the purchase of a /22 block. Sanford used the block for less than two years before fully deploying it, confirming their growth was on track with projections.

When it became clear that additional IPv4 allocations would be required, Sanford returned to IPTrading in early 2022, and IPTrading facilitated two additional /22 block purchases in January 2022. Together, these three blocks provided Sanford with the IPv4 resources needed to support continued network expansion without constraint.

IPTrading guided Sanford Health through the ARIN pre-approval and documentation steps for justification to ensure every acquisition was compliant and straightforward. The documentation process was completed without obstacles, and all transfers were approved and completed smoothly.

Results

Sanford Health now operates with significantly more IPv4 space than they began with (spanning three separate /22 blocks) allowing internal systems, operational infrastructure, and internal communications to scale at pace with the organization’s continued growth.

Outcomes include:

• Network capacity expanded without interruption.
• Operations remained compliant with ARIN allocation and justification standards.
• Growth was able to proceed smoothly and proactively, rather than reactively.

Sanford Health expressed appreciation for IPTrading’s assistance in completing the transfers efficiently. Their decision to return to IPTrading for subsequent block acquisitions speaks to the success of the partnership.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

This case demonstrates how proactive planning and expert brokerage support can help complex healthcare organizations secure IPv4 space without encountering emergency shortages, unexpected risk, or regulatory setback.

Sanford’s experience illustrates several broader realities in healthcare networking today:

• Healthcare networks continue to grow faster than IPv6 adoption timelines.
• Internal systems expansion is a major driver of IPv4 demand.
• Planning before systems reach capacity is the key to cost control and network continuity.

Recommendations

Healthcare organizations operating multi-location systems should periodically review their IPv4 utilization, forecast internal growth, and secure new address space before shortages impact operations.

Partnering with an experienced broker like IPTrading ensures that every stage of the acquisition, from assessing current capacity to completing ARIN documentation, is handled with precision, compliance, and confidence.

Visit IPTrading.com to get strategic guidance for your IPv4 acquisition, leasing, or transfer needs.