Ready or not, IPv6 is coming Google last week touted the benefits and ease of switching to IPv6, the next generation internet protocol, while the IT world in general remains resolutely indifferent about the technology. Uptake of IPv6 is low, despite predictions that IPv4 numbers will become used up in as little as two years. A recent survey by the …
"How about encouraging all the router manufacturers to ... [snip] ... As far as I know, Linux can do all of this anyway, and as most routers seem to run some version of Linux, they should be adaptable."
Well yes, I think that's it in a nutshell. The code already exists. All the router manufacturers could roll out dual-stack firmware tomorrow. The client OSes have already done so, as have a few ISPs (and the rest could presumably muster the necessary expertise if it looked commercially important).
The problem is the vast installed base of hardware with IPv4-only code burned into it, and the fact that just about every broadband-enabled household on the planet is cut off from the internet by such a device.
Google's IPv6 presence in DNS depends what IP address you make the DNS query from. This allowed Google to roll out IPv6 on its services in an ordered way and gave Google a way to withdraw the IPv6 visibility of services if that caused trouble at a particular ISP. As the Google techs noted at linux.conf.au's Sysadmin Miniconf, the whole process has gone smoother than expected and rollbacks haven't been necessary.
As for the rest of the comments, there's an assumption that things can continue as they are. That's not the case -- ISPs will need to roll out their own NAT infrastructure. Those of you who use 3G data modems have already experienced how well that works (not). The implications for households are -- you won't be able to run your own server anymore (you see no globally-visible IP address which you can NAT it to), your ISP will decided what protocols you can use (eg, a lot of enterprise VPNs will fail) and latency will increase. Those effects could lead to some anti-competitive outcomes (eg, a ISP with large telco revenues might not offer NATing of SIP and H.323, forcing its customers to its own IP Phone offerings).
In the short term ISPs will buy underutilised IPv4 addresses. Unfortunately a lot of the older IPv4 address space has archaic address allocation methods, and thus won't come onto the market quickly. We're probably looking at a doubling of the size IPv4 routing table, as the table tracks smaller and smaller allocations. And doubtless people currently selling famous bridges will start selling /16s.
I expect the increase in latency will lead to gamers demanding IPv6 so that their packets take the shortest route, rather than trip through a NAT box.
Large ISPs will need to roll out IPv6 for their core in any case -- they have more customers than can be addressed by 10.0.0.0/8. The real obstacle in continuing that rollout to customers is the lack of IPv6 broadband routers. The IETF have failed to specify such a device (specifying the device would also require the IETF to specify NAT for IPv4, something the IETF has had minor religious wars about, so nothing ever progressed). Without solid specs there is a standoff between manufacturers and ISPs, neither being willing to commit to building or buying a non-standard (and thus soon-to-be-superceeded) device. There are specifications being developed outside of the IETF, but it's all getting a bit too late.
"No, there isn't. It runs out next year by most estimates."
Who's spreading the FUD now? Not even the hopelessly innacurate 'exhaustion counter' says that.
If the ipv6 advocates want to be taken seriously they need to stop pulling random dates out of their ass and come up with something reasonable.
And ipv6 *does* break configurations. It's a major change.. from one network to another. Applications need to be updated and tested. Servers need to be reconfigured. The cost to business of doing that vs. staying in ipv4 NAT is huge.
btw. Google have *one page* on ipv6. Big woop. Wake me up when they index ipv6 servers and return ipv6 results on their search page.
Tony. You are a dick. Rather than reciting the usual rhetoric, how about offering up some alternatives?
The Airport extreme is a DSL router. DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line. ADSL stands for ASYMMETRIC DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER LINE. If you have a modem that has an ethernet port, you can hook it up to the Airport Extreme. Works like a charm. As for reasonably priced, whatever. Mines been excellent, the fact that I can hook up an external drive AND a printer et c. via the USB port, not to mention the fact that is supports IPv6 (therefore fairly future proof), make it fairly reasonable. Still, anyone but Apple, eh...
It's good and all to tout a technology when your execs have stake in the hardware companies that sell ipv6 network devices, that's all fine and good google.
However tell that to Comcast, does comcast provide ipv6? I asked comcast a few times about it and the techs didn't even seem to know what ipv6 was.
When ISPS have it, get back to me.
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