[ppml] Proposed Policy: IPv4 Countdown

[Jim Barstow]

I think that the problems from IPv6 stem from opinions like this where
network operators feel that there is no reason to deploy IPv6 because
equipment doesn't support it.  Its more of a chicken vs. egg question.

We are well aware that our IPv6 deployment is likely to take 2 or more
years, thusly we have been making the preparations to announce our IPv6
space, which we will announce when the last of our peering points adds
support for it.  We intend to dual-stack our network and continually monitor
the usage of both v4 and v6 address space until such time as we can begin
phasing out the v4 space from the edge inwards.  

Without ever taking the time or initiative to develop a migration plan so
that people have some idea of how they will be moving forward over the next
couple years.  There will never be support build in to the SoHo routers
until there is a network to support it, so it should be on the shoulders of
us, the network operators, to build the system to support the solution to
many of our problems.  IMHO, if you aren't taking any initiative at all, you
have no room to complain about lack of space, poor allocation policies,
lack of reclamation policies, etc.

Just my $0.02.

------------------------------------
SmartTel Communications
Jim Barstow
Sr. Telecom Engineer
jimb at smarttelco.com
PO Box 367
22645 Canal Road
Suite E
Orange Beach, AL 36561
tel: (251) 224-0868
fax: (251) 224-0830
mobile: (251) 747-4913
------------------------------------

-----Original Message-----
From: ppml-bounces at arin.net [mailto:ppml-bounces at arin.net] On Behalf Of
Stephen Sprunk
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 2:28 PM
To: michael.dillon at bt.com
Cc: ARIN PPML
Subject: Re: [ppml] Proposed Policy: IPv4 Countdown

Thus spake <michael.dillon at bt.com>
>> Imagine a day in which a lot of the network outside of the ARIN 
>> region is IPv6 and only ARIN is still using IPv4.  We'd have a 
>> network ripped in half (well, not 50/50) with our region falling 
>> behind the rest of the world (in IPvX).
>
> In my version of this thought experiment, the ARIN region quickly 
> realized that roughly 90% of their infrastructure was capable of 
> running IPv6 with only a software upgrade so they did upgrade.
> Problem solved.

Nice thought experiment, but 99.9999% of the routers in the ARIN region (you
know, all those boxes consumers and SoHos are sitting behind) don't support
IPv6 and the vendors have shown absolutely no interest in adding it.  Not in
their new products, and certainly not in the millions of old boxes out
there.  And, even if it were available, how do you plan on reaching out to
millions of Joe Sixpacks and Grandmas and convince them to upgrade?

An IPv6 core is irrelevant if none of the endpoints can reach it.  Vista
finally has v6 on by default, and maybe 20% of users will have upgraded by
the end of this year, but they still won't be able to reach an IPv6 router
even two hops away at their ISP.

S

Stephen Sprunk      "Those people who think they know everything
CCIE #3723         are a great annoyance to those of us who do."
K5SSS                                             --Isaac Asimov 


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