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Re: [LUG] IPv6

 

On Sun, 22 Jan 2012, Neil Winchurst wrote:

There has been a lot of emails on the list recently about IPv6. I am a
little confused about all this, and I suspect that I am not alone.

I get the impression that IPv6 is coming in to replace IPv4 but is
taking a long time to happen.

10 years so-far...

It's highly unlikely it'll ever replace IPv4 completely - however it will work alongside IPv4.

At the moment for most people there is no point in worrying about it,
IPv4 will carry on working for the foreseeable future .

It will work, but we're running out of IPv4 addresses. I'm worrying about it because I want to be ready.

IP address allocation works in a heirarchy. The very top-level hands out allocation to world-wide regional registrys. Then then hand-out to local registrys (which are often ISPs). That top-level ran out in February last year. The world-wide registrys are now feeling the squeeze and it really won't be long before they run out too. (Although checking now, it seems that at least one has already run out)

One projection puts RIPE (The European registry) running out by the end of July this year.

Also many ISP's are dragging their heels about this so are not yet ready
for it.

A lot of the hosting companies are getting there - and some of the transit companies - it's mostly the customer access ISPs who're being tardy over it. (Especially the bigger ones - e.g. the BT/Virgins of the world - why?)

And, there are not yet many suitable routers on the market.

also true!

However, the list of compatable routers is growing - slowly, but right now it's consumer driven and a big catch-22.

These are the 'facts' as I see them at the moment, but I am ready to be
corrected. So can anyone put me right if necessary please? I think
others on the list will be interested too.

You're not far wrong. But there's nothing to stop you getting ready - if you choose to do so.

Have a look at this:

  http://www.potaroo.net/tools/ipv4/index.html

Some nice graphs based on current data.

My suspicion is that when the squeeze comes and the end-user ISPs can no-longer get IP addresses that they might start to look to "carrier grade NAT" - so the IP address your router will get will be a private/RFC1918 IP address and not a globally routable one. The mobile networks already do this - unless you pay a premium.

Gordon

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