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Bits Help - We've Run out of IP Addresses!

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by arcticstoat, 3 Jun 2011.

  1. arcticstoat

    arcticstoat Minimodder

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  2. V3ctor

    V3ctor Tech addict...

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    That Netscape image brings me memories... :D
     
  3. x5pilot

    x5pilot Fragile explosion

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    Great article... Thanks!
     
  4. mucgoo

    mucgoo Minimodder

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    What would happen if we were to stick to ip4 and run out? What would be the effect?
     
  5. SexyHyde

    SexyHyde Minimodder

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    Drug dealers would have to use one phone.
     
  6. TheLegendJoe

    TheLegendJoe Syntax error

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    @mucgoo New devices wouldn't be able to connect to the internet (eg a new router)
     
  7. tehBoris

    tehBoris What's a Dremel?

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    The IPv4 protocol will never die (well, may be in a few hundred years, by which time IPv6 may be on the way out), it is far too wide spread and implemented in so many devices for it to go away. Fortunately IPv6 has a whole subnet reserved for backwards compatibility with IPv4. Ultimately we don't need to ditch IPv4, we just need to adopt IPv6.
     
  8. icanfly

    icanfly What's a Dremel?

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    long time ago. we havent believe what is happen. but I agreen with your advice,.

    so good luck
    :search:
     
  9. The_Jonas

    The_Jonas \m/

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    My roommate thought this was the end of the world. He actually thought we'd run out on 21/12/12 and that all technology would stop working... And apparently his uncle who is some kind of IT specialist *cough yeah right* backed it up with data; utter codswallop in my opinion.

    On topic; I don't think the move to IPv6 will be that hard, we'll implement it fairly easily, might take some time though... but it will happen.
     
  10. FelixTech

    FelixTech Robot

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    whatismyip.com is going to need a redesign!
     
  11. PingCrosby

    PingCrosby What's a Dremel?

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    Its the end of the digital world....repent ye digital sinners.
     
  12. RichCreedy

    RichCreedy Hey What Who

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    bt have already started ipv6 rollout with their new bthomehub3
     
  13. Digibull

    Digibull Stealth Geek

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    ISPs would no longer be able to assign addresses to new hosts. The net would stop growing and there would be battles over DHCP assigned addresses with consumer connections.

    Even though yes, IPv6 does have a limit on avaliable addresses so assigning these addresses would need to be correctly controlled, you would still need to assign an address to every grain of sand on the planet before you ran out of avaliable public addresses. If the IANA worked the way it does at the moment then it would be assiging a square metre of a single beach to ISPs at a time, which means it would take decades upon decades before people even needed to think about a 256bit address to upgrade to.
     
    Last edited: 3 Jun 2011
  14. faugusztin

    faugusztin I *am* the guy with two left hands

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    Show me a device at your home with no IPv6 support. Home users are pretty much totally prepared for IPv6, it is the network infrastructure of the Internet itself which here and there have old IPv4 only hardware.
     
  15. Adnoctum

    Adnoctum Kill_All_Humans

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    I disagree with this strongly.

    The interviewee in this article is correct regarding the turnover of end devices making IPv4 redundant. Soon, the only devices IPv4-only will be those that are in an isolated, disconnected network or those belonging to those luddites who can't wrap their head around IPv6. Another set of devices that *might* be stuck on IPv4 are those that are embedded in control systems for long-lived equipment or infrastructure (an example might be a power station control system) that cannot be upgraded. In these isolated cases, extraordinary efforts and the associated costs are justified, but even then the system won't be utilised for more than a few decades before being replaced with IPv6 equipment. Having said this, most control systems made within the last 15 years *should* be based on COTS-equipment for cost reasons, and these should be fairly easily updated.

    The transition period won't be too long, if only because the efforts of trying to make IPv6 devices and networks work with/over IPv4 networks is a serious pain in the backside. Eventually, IPv6-based Internet providers and network administrators aren't going to want to expend the time and expense accommodating those who don't move over and the IPv4 users will be an unconnected backwater.

    Consumer devices: I give IPv4 10 years to completely disappear.
    Corporate devices: 15 years.
    Everywhere else: 20 years.

    Any IPv4 devices will be either be unconnected or completely irrelevant in 20 years.
     
  16. Tibby

    Tibby Back Once Again

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    Could we not just add one more ocetet to the tag denoting country? Isn't there just under 200 countries? Should stay under 254 easily...
     
  17. faugusztin

    faugusztin I *am* the guy with two left hands

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    No, it's not enough. Just think - now we have computers and phones connected to the internet, that is usually 1-5 devices per family. Now imagine when your fridge, your lock, your security camers, your ebook reader, your TV, your radio, your lights, your "insert other electronics name here" will be all connected to the internet.
     
  18. Digibull

    Digibull Stealth Geek

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    Just to add, they'll be directly connected to the internet rather than NATed through a router.
     
  19. SpAceman

    SpAceman What's a Dremel?

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    I might check in with my ISP to see if they have any plans to switch to IPv6 any time soon..
     
  20. Buck_Rogers25

    Buck_Rogers25 Minimodder

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    Some interesting comments in here, also some concerning ones. I'm afraid I agree, anyone who thinks ipv6 isn't needed or won't replace ipv4 is dreaming. I think Adnoctum's prediction for how long ipv4 will last are fairly accurate, and depending on the uptake over the next 2 years, we could even see ipv4 gone in 2 to 5 years in most places, but that is assuming a reasonably easy switchover for ISPs and ATMs.

    One area I think ipv4 will still be used a lot is in bespoke integrated circuit environment networks, or IC networks such as those you find in eco-buildings,planes and other items, For example, many electronic devices communicate using ipv4, and some have VERY tight bandwidth requirements, literally no unneeded packets are sent, things like ARP are even disabled as they aren't needed, keeping the packets sent and received to a minimum. Using an ipv6 address in this kind of scenario would increase the packet size hugely and lower the available bandwith for performing operations.

    Also LANs, where a router, firewall or other NAT device allows a single ipv6 gateway address to be used by it's internal clients. This will drastically reduce the number of ipv6 addresses handed out and ease administration for network engineers and sys admins. This is true for any small to medium sized business, but less so once you begin talking about business's with multiple class C address ranges or even a class B, who would likely look at using ipv6 internally on their LAN aswell as out through their WAN link.

    I've had IPV6 running on all my home devices for a long time now, and in my last job we had ipv6 running everywhere ready to go. The headache is actually very minimal, although deconstructing an IPV6 address to create slash notations and subnets I will admit, is a pain in the ass compared to IPV4, and that's why I have an app for that :).

    Tibby you made a good point about countries, but you need to think bigger, you need to think planets. One of the principles that form the basis for creating this range was how long it would last, there are lots of factors in that, population growth, device density, average number of devices per person, complexity of IC networks growing, and the last one, moving to other planets. Sounds like science fiction I know, but it may not be.

    If you think about what you've just said, add an octet for country, now add an octet for planet, now add an octet for solar system, now add an octet for galaxy. You've just doubled the address range but you still have the prefixed 256 addresses per range, so you increase the bits per octet and double it again, and suddenly your up to 128bit address again, but this time without the hexidecimal features, which adds the ability to do a lot more with the address ranges and subnets, for the same number of bits.

    There's a great article somewhere from about 15 years ago about the design for a galaxy wide internet if you will, give it a read some time if you can find it, great article.
     
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