Caution: Bumps in the road to IPv6

[Tracey Capen]

TOP STORY Caution: Bumps in the road to IPv6 By Woody Leonhard Although the consequences aren't as dire as it sounds, the Internet ran out of IP addresses (roughly analogous to telephone numbers) last month. While the Web won't come crashing down anytime soon, you're going to be affected by the new numbering scheme — and some details may catch you unawares. The full text of this column is posted at WindowsSecrets.com/2011/03/17/02 (opens in a new window/tab). Columnists typically cannot reply to comments here, but do incorporate the best tips into future columns.

[WildcatRay]

I have some questions about this. How can I check my router to see if it can handle IPv6? If needed, what search terms should I try on the router's support web site or any other search?

If the router is set behind the ISP-provided gateway and/or cable modem, will it matter if the router can handle IPv6?

[jfesler]

First, thanks for the post - raising awareness of the coming World IPv6 Day is important; and the issue some users will face is quite real. I am seeing an uptick in traffic and questions this morning through test-ipv6.com; pretty easily attributable to your article

I humbly suggest http://omgipv6day.com as a test site - I believe that for _many_ of the viewing audience, the test-ipv6.com site is perhaps too much (based on the surge in support traffic I'm fielding). omgipv6day.com will tell a person if they will have problems or not on June 7/June 8, without all of the other diagnostic information.

Anyone who is actively working on trying to enable IPv6 at home, through the use of tunnels or any progressive ISP already offering IPv6, should stick with test-ipv6.com.

Disclaimer: I'm responsible for both sites. (ISOC is merely pointing to test-ipv6.com).


- jfesler@test-ipv6.com

[michael_b]

While I appreciate the content of your article, I find the title to be more than a little alarmist.

I don't see what you are suggesting is a bump in the road?

Replacing hardware, upgrading firmware, all of these are typical in any environment when you are switching protocols.

Regards,
Michael B. Smith
Consultant & Exchange MVP
http://TheEssentialExchange.com/

[whytyger]

A reminder to everyone (including me!) who took Windows Secrets' advice and is not using the ISP's DNS address...I am using DNS addresses 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 and got a big fat 0/10 for ipv6. Will have to recheck Automatic from ISP in my router settings (temporarily) and test again.

20 minutes into the future...still 0/10.

[jfesler]

A reminder to everyone (including me!) who took Windows Secrets' advice and is not using the ISP's DNS address...I am using DNS addresses 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 and got a big fat 0/10 for ipv6. Will have to recheck Automatic from ISP in my router settings (temporarily) and test again.

20 minutes into the future...still 0/10.

Unless your ISP offers you IPv6 service, or you take steps to set up a tunnel, you simply won't connect using the IPv6 service you don't have :-).

If you do have IPv6 service, then your choice of DNS servers can make the difference between a 9/10 IPv6 score, and a 10/10. This last point simply means the DNS server has IPv6 *connectivity*. Even without it, that DNS server can look up IPv6 data fine (using IPV4). DNS is *just* a phone book, for web site names.


- jfesler@test-ipv6.com

[bobprimak]

This article from Computerworld is a bit dated, but it indicates that AT&T DSL residential services is not ready for the IPv6 changeover. There is serious concern over whether AT&T will ever upgrade its DSL network to handle IPv6, preferring to force all DSL customers to upgrade to UVerse or go without Internet Services. AT&T has to date not made any public announcements or comments about this matter.

This does not affect performance in a dual-stack environment, but AT&T DSL customers may not be able to access IPv6-only sites as these become more common. Again, AT&T has made no formal comments about any of this. This is not a Gateway or Modem or Router issue -- it is the AT&T DSL Network which is at this time not IPv6 ready.

By contrast, Comcast (which does not offer DSL Internet Services, but onlly more expensive Cable or XFinity Internet Services) is fully IPv6 ready, and may not even need to swap out modems or Cable Gateways when the changeover comes.

Comcast and AT&T are the major service providers for residential Internet services in my area (Chicago, IL, USA).

[embee]

You appear to have some outdated/misleading information about Linksys routers. I just verified IPv6 support for my Linksys router, Cisco M20, firmware v.1.0.04 build 7. It returned the following:

• Test with IPv4 DNS record ok (1.328s) using ipv4
• Test with IPv6 DNS record ok (0.876s) using ipv6 Teredo
• Test with Dual Stack DNS record ok (0.638s) using ipv4
• Test for Dual Stack DNS and large packet ok (0.360s) using ipv4
• Test IPv4 without DNS ok (0.240s) using ipv4
• Test IPv6 without DNS ok (0.338s) using ipv6 Teredo
• Test IPv6 large packet ok (0.153s) using ipv6 Teredo
• Test if your ISP's DNS server uses IPv6 bad (1.137s)

So the router clearly supports IPv6. I've no idea whether the fail of the final test is due to my cable internet provider (Rogers Canada), my DNS provider (OpenDNS), or my domain host, but my understanding is that this isn't important, at least in the short term.

[bobprimak]

You appear to have some outdated/misleading information about Linksys routers. I just verified IPv6 support for my Linksys router, Cisco M20, firmware v.1.0.04 build 7. It returned the following:

• Test with IPv4 DNS record ok (1.328s) using ipv4
• Test with IPv6 DNS record ok (0.876s) using ipv6 Teredo
• Test with Dual Stack DNS record ok (0.638s) using ipv4
• Test for Dual Stack DNS and large packet ok (0.360s) using ipv4
• Test IPv4 without DNS ok (0.240s) using ipv4
• Test IPv6 without DNS ok (0.338s) using ipv6 Teredo
• Test IPv6 large packet ok (0.153s) using ipv6 Teredo
• Test if your ISP's DNS server uses IPv6 bad (1.137s)

So the router clearly supports IPv6. I've no idea whether the fail of the final test is due to my cable internet provider (Rogers Canada), my DNS provider (OpenDNS), or my domain host, but my understanding is that this isn't important, at least in the short term.

You are located in Canada. The situation in the USA may be different -- our routers do not always have all the features of our international counterparts, even from the same manufacturer. And IPv6 is not supported by the major USA ISPs at this time. Other countries are way ahead of the USA in this area.

[biblio]

healthy food listYou appear to have some outdated/misleading information about Linksys routers. I just verified IPv6 support for my Linksys router, Cisco M20, firmware v.1.0.04 build 7. It returned the following:

• Test with IPv4 DNS record ok (1.328s) using ipv4
• Test with IPv6 DNS record ok (0.876s) using ipv6 Teredo
• Test with Dual Stack DNS record ok (0.638s) using ipv4
• Test for Dual Stack DNS and large packet ok (0.360s) using ipv4
• Test IPv4 without DNS ok (0.240s) using ipv4
• Test IPv6 without DNS ok (0.338s) using ipv6 Teredo
• Test IPv6 large packet ok (0.153s) using ipv6 Teredo
• Test if your ISP's DNS server uses IPv6 bad (1.137s)

So the router clearly supports IPv6. I've no idea whether the fail of the final test is due to my cable internet provider (Rogers Canada), my DNS provider (OpenDNS), or my domain host, but my understanding is that this isn't important, at least in the short term.

hy

i will appreciate the content of your article, this is very helful for me

but I sometimes still confused by ipv6
what is the difference with ipv4.
especially in security


thanks