The .lan domain could become public: what routers and local networks risk
Anyone who runs a home network or a small homelab knows the .lan suffix well: it shows up in router panels, internal DNS servers and the addresses we use to reach devices without a registered domain. IlSoftware.it reports that an application submitted to ICANN could turn it into an Internet domain accessible worldwide.
The request for the .lan TLD was filed by Coffee Danger, a US company, and it is still in Pre-Evaluation Processing. This means the domain is not approved and cannot yet be used to register public addresses. The application is part of the new round of top-level domain assignments started by ICANN in 2026, which involves hundreds of companies: among the applicants are Google with .browser, OpenAI with .openai and .chatgpt, Meta with .facebook, and the Italian company Aruba with domains such as .pec, .vps, .lab, .roma and .ciao. All applications remain subject to evaluation.
The delicate point is that .lan is not a name like any other. Many technicians have used it for a long time, for example nas.lan, router.lan or camera.lan. If a name considered internal enters the public DNS, the risk is malfunctions, DNS queries leaving the network, and communications that could reach destinations other than the intended ones.
As someone who is fond of home networks, I find the news a good reminder: for internal names it is better to use suffixes designed for that purpose rather than relying on de facto conventions. For now there is no decision, but it is worth keeping an eye on.
Source: IlSoftware.it
The request for the .lan TLD was filed by Coffee Danger, a US company, and it is still in Pre-Evaluation Processing. This means the domain is not approved and cannot yet be used to register public addresses. The application is part of the new round of top-level domain assignments started by ICANN in 2026, which involves hundreds of companies: among the applicants are Google with .browser, OpenAI with .openai and .chatgpt, Meta with .facebook, and the Italian company Aruba with domains such as .pec, .vps, .lab, .roma and .ciao. All applications remain subject to evaluation.
The delicate point is that .lan is not a name like any other. Many technicians have used it for a long time, for example nas.lan, router.lan or camera.lan. If a name considered internal enters the public DNS, the risk is malfunctions, DNS queries leaving the network, and communications that could reach destinations other than the intended ones.
As someone who is fond of home networks, I find the news a good reminder: for internal names it is better to use suffixes designed for that purpose rather than relying on de facto conventions. For now there is no decision, but it is worth keeping an eye on.
Source: IlSoftware.it
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