August 22, 2017

Here Are 6 IPv6 Networking Myths

The Internet has run out of new IPv4 addresses. While you can still buy IPv4 space in private markets, no more are being allotted by ARIN or any other registries.

This was enough to create hype in the market. Add to that some of the myth about IPv6 and we have a cocktail of legends that are simply hard to digest.

It’s true that transfers are harder due to certain technical features, or lack thereof. There’s no point in making it look easier than it is. You should have a clear understanding of what networking with IPv6 means.

1. It offers service/location separation

IPv6 only offers longer addresses and greater quantity. However, the issues of broken reference implementation and broken protocol stack remains.

Furthermore, transport protocol is still stuck in the dial-up world, making it all the more difficult for the applications to cope with multiple network locations.

IPv6 could have resolved the issue, but it doesn’t.

2. Multihoming will be simplified with IPv6

Technically, yes; practically, no. The new version allows a single host to acquire multiple addresses, even from multiple service providers. However, it was not practically tested and the upper layers can’t use them efficiently.

Moreover, IPv6 lacks Network Address Translation (NAT). It makes it difficult to offer resilience to smaller sites and multihoming experience remains similar to what was offered by IPv4.

3. It will reduce routing and BGP problems

Routing tables work more efficiently with IPv6 but there are no significant changes. More people will try to get PI address space and run border gateway protocol (BGP). The routing tables will continue to grow exponentially as a result.

Moreover, the BGP tables will take more space and transitioning will be more difficult as both IPv4 and IPv6 prefixes will be carried on the same routers.

4. IPv6 ensures better quality of service

It doesn’t. The flow field of IPv6 packet headers might work well on low-speed links for identification of individual flows. But flow-based QoS (IntServ) doesn’t scale up for moderately fast links. Instead, DSCP field will be used which is available on IPv4 headers too.

5. IPv6 is essential for mobility

It’s true that there were no mobility features for IPv4 when the new protocol was being designed. However, IPv6 networking deployment issues have led to development of new mobility solutions, making IPv4-based mobility easier.

6. It offers better security

It doesn’t provide better security because there is nothing IPv6 IPSec can do that IPv4 IPSec can’t. This remains true even though IPSec integrates better with IPv6 headers.

If you already have a system set up on IPv4, chances are you’ll need to buy IPv4 addresses. We offer a reliable platform for buying, selling and leasing IPv4 addresses. Contact us right away for more information.